Player Review

In the past I have never really been a big fan of Gotze, but I have been pleasantly surprised by this card. I got him in my rewards, so he has been sitting untradeable for a while before I decided to try him as a false 9, which didn't go great, but as a CAM, he is wonderful behind Werner, combining well so the two of them can set each other up.

Pace: I put a hunter on him, because I think the little extra pace boost is worth it so he can make runs past the striker easier. He still doesn't have top end speed, but its enough to get the attack moving quickly enough to bring danger. I think you could switch to a different chemistry style if you played a different style, without such a reliance on him to score and set up goals.

Shooting: The main reason I have avoided his card in the past was because he is a CAM that seemingly can't shoot. This card seems somewhat different though. The power still is lacking, but it's not all that necessary because he gets into such good positions in the box that he's scoring from close range. His volleys are still living off that one goal, but I'm fine with it, because he connects well with crosses, able to smash them in with either foot, a big bonus because you cannot rely on him to win much in the air.

Passing: He is one of the best players I have used for playing short quick passes through the middle, connecting with the striker in front of him mostly. I found it useful to play into the strikers feet, play it back to Gotze, who can then play a beautiful ball either over the top or threaded past defenders. Builds up relatively well with fellow midfielders too and is capable of playing very accurate long diagonals out wide to wingers and fullbacks.

Dribbling: Very, very smooth on the ball, rarely coming off his foot. The ball control is a major plus, as I would also play a hard pass from a CDM into his feet where it stops dead, he can turn quickly with the ball and find the next pass or dribble it up the field if the opportunity arises. The reactions are also a nice bonus because he is normally the first many to shots the goalkeeper parries, leading to plenty of easy goals from close range. His composure is superb too, consistently beating the keeper when 1 on 1.

Defending: I told him to stay forward, so I didn't expect much out of his defending. He intercepts a ball here or there, maybe a tackle a game or so, but I wouldn't expect a ton of decent defensive effort. I think this is good though because it helps preserve his relatively low stamina.

Physical: The stamina is not ideal, but you can make it through the match most of the time, as long as you tell him to stay forward, allowing to not have to worry about defending. He's rather weak, sometimes feels like less than 70 strength, but he doesn't really end up in many situations where he would need his strength. 59 jumping and 53 heading on someone who is 5'9".... don't expect to score many headers.

Overall, he works well as a creative second striker, who can solely focus on creating and converting scoring opportunities. Ideally he doesn't have to bring the ball up the field or contribute defensively, but if he had to, I'm sure he could at least handle being the ball carrier from deep. I would recommend playing a striker in front of him that can pass relatively well and has decent ball control/strength, that way Gotze can play off of this striker to create opportunities. He's not going to be the man to carry your team, as he needs to have players around him so they can compliment him, and him them. I don't plan on using him very much, unless I need a Bundesliga CAM from Germany, but he's a nice little creative option that has the potential of being useful rather than just taking up space in the club.