Player Review

Rivals: DIV 3

Weekend League: Gold 2 mostly

If I need to sum it up in one word, Alaba is the master of jack-of-all-trades. The most versatile player with the best value out there right now. Before you proceed, please notice that this review is made based upon his performances as an LB (switched in-game), and occasionally CM or LCM.

Let's take a look at the stats. Alaba has a total in-game stats (IGS) of 2507. When you look at all players' IGS in FUT, and take away all the TOTY and Icons, Alaba is number 1 and has the HIGHEST in-game stats (as of April 5 2018). If you take into account all TOTYs and Icons, he is still number 15 on the list and everyone above him costs at least 1 million. If you want to go slightly maniac, all Alaba's attributes are above 80 except for four of 70+. Slap a sentinel on him and his 75 finishing is the only attributes below 80. This means, he has NO weaknesses to his game. He can do everything in the pitch and he is good at everything. Not many players have this quality. Even players like TOTY CR7 or Prime Pele has some weaknesses in their defending. A close call will be those all-rounders who have ALL stats above 80 with chem, such as TOTY modric and Optimus prime Gullit as the more expensive ones, and Flashback Vidal as a cheaper alternative. UCL live florenzi is the closest competitor to Alaba with only one stats below 80 and a cheaper card, but in total has 43 less IGS compared to Alaba.

Now you have a good grasp of the stats and his magnificent value compared to the others, let's look at his rating for each category below.

Grading policy:

I grade each respective categories based on the base/game stats, and how well they perform relative to that expectation. So, if a person has a 70 pace stats, and his run feels like 70, I would give him the same grade to that category, which is 7. And I would scale the grade up and down based on how they out-perform / under-perform their own stats.

Chem used: Sentinel

Player chem: 10

Used Position: LB, sometimes LM, LCM (switched in-game)

Instructions: Balanced Attack

PACE: 8.5/10

He is not the fastest player out there, but he is fast. Without chem boost, that 93 acceleration will give you enough burst of speed to get out of tight situation, but with 86 sprint speed, running down along the flank will get you caught up by a faster player at times, hence the 8.5 rating.

ATTACKING PROWESS: 9/10

Depending on your playstyle and the position that you assign him, this part might not be applicable. But I want Alaba to wreak havoc down the left wing, so I have my midfielder to cover the wing at the back, and let Alaba let loose. And man he performs superbly, I scored 5 goals out of the 20 rivals matches I play with him which was, in itself, a good amount from a left back. But it is his overall contribution to the attacking play that I rate the most. He will always try to create chances down that left side, cut inside to the box to create space or even head a cross from the opposite flank. He is always a threat to the opposition in general. His 75 finishing is not ideal and will let you down sometimes, but it is more than enough. 4 stars weak foot is also a plus, which means he can whip a cross from the left, or even cut inside and shoot with his right.

PASSING & DRIBBLING 9.5/10

I decided not to boost this two areas with chemistry because they are good enough for a left back as it is. Close to 90 or more, on all areas. Even with no boost, I can guarantee you that dribbling is smooth and most passes and crosses will find its way into the target. He is my corner kick takers too at the moment and he has been racking up 10 assists in 20 games and still counting.

DEFENDING & PHYSICALITY 9.5/10

With sentinel, he is a total BEAST in the back. Albeit only after 20 games, I have never seen my Alaba lost a 50-50 ball, or even lost a header down his flank. Medium def WR is also not a problem since he always finds his way back to his position after an attack, and his positioning is very intelligent.

VERSATILY: 10/10

I rarely give a grade for this category, but he is truly a player that can perform anywhere on the pitch given the right chem style. You slap a sentinel, he becomes a 91 rated CB. Guardian, a 93 rated side back. Maestro, a 94 rated CM. Sniper, a 91 rated ST. You can adjust him along the way to fit your playstyle and formation, and move him to different areas of the pitch. His 4 rated WF will also give you options to put him on both wings so he can literally take on any positions except for GK.

OVR:10/10

In conclusion, for anything under 300K, or I would say even under 500k, Alaba is MORE than worth it. It does not really matter what the rating for each category is, he is a 10/10 for his versatility, high crazy stats and his current value alone. My rating is based on his game as an LB with a sentinel. But you put him as a ST with sniper, then all of sudden those ratings will change, in a good way. He is a player that can TRANSFORM to suit the style of the owners. A player that can be custom-made, and tailor-made to any formations, with a single change of a chem style, yet still gives you at least 8.5 rating for each category. And that is a quality that not many players in FUT have, especially at this price, at this value. The only thing that would be holding him back is his linkability, if you play with a hybrid. Austria flag has options that are close to zero, which leaves you with all Bayern players for a strong link. I actually never played with any bundesliga players myself until this card showed up, and Robben SBC showed up. Pairing those two is enough to give both 10 chem and I have never been happier with my team.

https://www.futbin.com/19/squad-builder/5093184