Player Review

Well, I've never felt the need to write a review for a FIFA card, but I think theres something that needs to be said about this one. I'm a PC player, a regular div3 Division Rivals player/high Gold 1 who got his first Elite 3 last two weeks ago FUT Champions player, which would probably be around regular low Gold 1/high Gold 2 and div4-5 in PS4 or XB1.

My team has always been too SBC/ untradeable packed player-reliable, that means I've always had semi-cheap teams, but last week I managed to pack Zaha TOTS so I got a boost on coins, and so, I decided to try something new. First thing I gotta say is, my first choice for striker wasnt the Pole, but Prime Moments Van Nistelrooy instead. I've always liked icon cards and Ruud Van Nistelrooy is a player I've idolized since I was a child, so I decided to get the Dutchman. I have to say, he was pretty good. He scored around 22 goals in 18 games and assisted his teammates a couple of times, but I got robbed in one match while fighting to rank up to Gold 2, so I said, F-it, and sold him. I think that was the best decision I made in that Futchamps.

After waiting for 6 hours on Sunday to sell Ruud and playing 2 games with Jhon Córdoba FB in which he scored a couple of times, I finally bought Headliners Robert Lewandowski. It's fair to say it's not an easy card to ignore. 96-rated non-TOTS/TOTY card that isnt Neymar, Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi or Mbappe. This week, with the PL TOTS, his price went down a lot, so he finally became an affordable card, and after getting Thiago in last week's player picks, I thought it was about damn time to get him. And I gotta say, he was absolutely outstanding. He scored 19 goals in 12 games and gave 3 assists, helping me get 24 wins in this weekend league, which is crucial to get good rewards during the PL TOTS.

First thing I want to address is his shooting. It is beyond human belief. He can score from anywhere in 20 meters range. His finishing is incredibly precise, even with his weak foot. I could swear I never noticed his 4* weak foot. He produces screamers regularly, with his left or his right, top bins it is. He's also really reliable, never missed a single tap-in. Basically, the best shooting you can get from an under 1M card. Really can't miss a chance. He just helped me get goals when I needed them no matter what the situation was. 1 on 1 against a defender? Beats him and top right corner. Nedved on the ball running down the wing? Beats his man and scores the tap-in. He even scored a header, which, as you all know, is practically impossible this year. I really can't stress enough how prolific this guy is. Inside or outside the box, his scoring ability is just the best I've seen in this year's game.

Next thing I want to talk about is his pace. Even though he obviously isn't the paciest player you can get, for a pretty tall guy that weighs around 80 kilos, he feels rapid. I used an Engine chem style to boost primarily his dribbling and with around 93 pace, he can beat most centerbacks in a 1 on 1 run. Definitely not the best side of his game but you can feel he gets through balls without too much effort.

Then comes his dribbling. I gotta say, that if i had to find a downside to this Lewandowski, it would be his dribbling. Felt a bit underwhelming, don't know if it was the absurd delay this week or me being a guy that doesnt rely a lot on turnarounds and stuff like that, but it didnt feel like a 93 (boosted with engine). But then again, him having 4* skills basically screws any other aspect of his dribbling I've mentioned before, because it helps him beat players with absolutely no effort. So, to sum it up, ok dribbling, that felt like should've been a bit better.

Next aspect of this amazing card, his passing. When I got Lewan I wasn't looking for a passing striker, so I didn't give his passing stats too much importance, but to be honest, if his dribbling underwhelmed me a bit, his passing completely caught me off guard. His passing feels great. Never misplaced a ball, he provided his teammates with accurate passes all game non-stop, and even though he only gave 3 assists in total, his passes were key to create big chances. Definitely a welcome surprise.

And finally, I'm going to talk about his physicality. When you get a relatively average-sized striker you don't expect him to beat people like Ferdinand or Van Dijk on physical duels, but he just didn't seem to lose them. He just couldn't be brushed off the ball, no matter how hard the opponents tried, he just stuck to the ball til I found a well placed teammate to pass the ball or a space to shoot. He felt incredibly physical and well, his strength, to be fair, kinda tells you that. But, combined with his balance, he just really felt like he couldn't be pushed off or knocked down.

In conclusion, after having trouble with strikers all year, after trying loads of different options, agile strikers, pacy strikers, physical strikers, I think I've finally found my endgame striker. Headliners Lewandowski feels like -even though we actually are in that part of the year- a TOTS striker: inhuman shooting, decent to good dribbling, great passing and great physicality, and that, for a price of 920k, makes him definitely a card you can't miss if you want to have good fun in this every-year-increasingly boring game.