Player Review

Mandzukic is just about what you expect him to be. Obviously he is not going to be the quickest, but his all around play is phenomenal, particularly the closer he gets to goal. I played him with a quick strike partner who can make runs in behind, as well as with wingbacks that will be able to swing balls onto his head. Because his heading was what I really wanted out of this card, I put a marksman on him in order to maximize his jumping (with welcomed boosts to strength and aggression as well) while also making his positioning and finishing essentially perfect, statistically at least.

Pace: Obviously, you're not buying this card for the pace. I feel as though a hunter card wouldn't help all that much, because 83 pace still isnt quite enough, particularly with only 79 acceleration. Therefore, you should more or less give up on his pace and look to maximize the other stats, which is why I went with a marksman.

Shooting: As his positioning would suggest, he gets into great areas either to get shots off, get his head to the ball, or get to rebounds quickly. His finishing is quite good, but not quite as good as I'd think for someone with 98 finishing, especially when you compare him to other finishers. I never had a problem with his shot power, even though it looks somewhat low; he hits rockets. I'd probably avoid shooting from distance with him especially if there are better options, but every now and again he will surprise you.

Passing: His passing is quite good, so its a nice option to have a big man who can back into his opponent, accept a pass, and distribute effectively. If he's playing next to someone quicker (Mertens for me), he links well and is able to facilitate give and gos to get in behind the defense.

Dribbling: He's not great on the ball, so ideally you'd get the ball into him, and get it off for a pass or shot relatively quick. It's pretty easy to get the ball into him because his ball control is pretty solid (with the marksman boost), so the ball often sticks to his feet or chest. His reactions are elite, getting on the end of rebounded saves relatively often, so if you shoot from a wide angle, he will be waiting in the middle to pounce.

Defending: I'm not normally a huge fan of a high defensive work rate on a striker, but because his defensive stats are actually pretty good, he does win the ball from centerbacks quite a bit, particularly interceptions. 6'3", 96 heading, and the power header trait make him an absolute beast in the air. If he gets his head to the ball, it will almost certainly get into the back of the net with some power behind it. The heading is also particularly useful on corners; offensively he is a master of the front post flick, and defensively he sometimes clears the ball to the halfway line.

Physical: Another obvious strength of the card, but what a difference maker it is. Adding a marksman gives just a little boost all around to get the numbers even better. 97 jumping assures that he will only get to more headers with his big frame, as does the 90 aggression. Simply put, the more balls he can get his head on, the more balls will go in the net. I would have though he would have higher strength, but regardless, he never gets out-muscled no matter who he's up against. 84 stamina on a striker should be more than enough, even with high/high work rates, just tell him to stay forward anyway.

Overall, play to his strengths and this card can be a world-beater. Get the ball on his head. Let him be the target man you play into and use for combination play. Most people prefer pacey strikers, but Mandzukic compliments these players perfectly, being the muscle they need, while putting in the real work in the air and defensively that most small/pacy/agile strikers can't/won't. I bought him a while back, so he only cost me 35,000, but even at 45,000 (his price at time of writing) it's still quite the bargain. Even if you don't like the card, he's still a high rated in form in a useful league for relatively cheap, so he could be useful for SBCs in the future, but I know I wont be getting rid of my card any time soon.