Player Review

I wanted to use Mostovoi since his card was released and when it finally dropped to a reasonable price, I immediately bought him and put him into a team. I wasn't sure what to expect from him. His stats certainly look good, but many players have failed to live up to them. However Mostovoi is far better than I ever expected him to be. I'll go over his stats and rate them one by one.

(Note: I used a Hunter chemistry style, boosting his pace and shooting)

Pace: 7/10

With the Hunter chemistry style, Mostovoi was plenty quick enough to do his job at CAM. At 88 pace, he can accelerate well with the ball and is exceptional at breaking defensive lines. There are occasionally times I wish he was a bit quicker, usually when playing against stupidly fast defences, but in his regular CAM position, Mostovoi is more than quick enough. You could probably even use him as a striker if you really wanted.

Dribbling: 8/10

Even without a boost from a chemistry style, Mostovoi's dribbling is excellent. He feels extremely agile on the ball and can work his way out of situations even without needing skills. Of course, he has 4* skills which allows him to be useful when running at defenders, as he's quick enough to tie them in knots if you know what you're doing with skills. His general control of the ball is fantastic, rarely taking an errant touch or receiving the ball poorly. The only negatives I have is that he's definitely not the most agile player I've used and might feel a bit clunky to people used to lightning quick 99 agility players. 78 balance means he sometimes can get dispossessed by OP defenders a bit quicker than I'd like. However overall, Mostovoi is so much fun to use on the ball and his dribbling is a big plus in his favour.

Shooting: 9/10

Oh my god, I didn't expect this. Mostovoi has the best long shots of any player I've used this game. I'm unsure why as even with a Hunter chem style, his long shots and shot power are great if not incredible, but somehow everything that leaves his feet is a rocket destined for the top corner. I've made Donnarumma look like a 40 ovr bronze card from 30 yards with Mostovoi, it's unreal. His finishing is excellent too, often making a late run into the box and coolly finishing past the goalkeeper. His finesse shots are excellent too, though in rare occasions he's ballooned one or two seemingly randomly. He's also got 5* weak foot, meaning his incredible shooting isn't hindered by being on the wrong side, he can bang them in from anywhere. I can't give him 10/10 as obviously his shooting isn't absolutely perfect, but it's as close as I've seen this FIFA.

Defending: 3/10

Probably my only criticism of Mostovoi is his disappointing defending. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't expecting him to be like Kante, hoovering up the midfield and winning every ball, but with 62 defending, I was hoping he could win the odd ball and pressure players into making mistakes and stealing possession. However he seems no better at tackling than an average 30-40 defending CAM would be. Occasionally he'll put in a tackle, but usually it'll end up going to the opposition or he'll only make the opponent stumble. Nothing special in this department, not that I really expected fireworks.

Passing: 7/10

Like his dribbling, Mostovoi's passing is very tidy even without a stats boost. He's got the ability to pick most passes that I need to play, regardless of the length. Be it a short pass to Benzema or a long through ball to Carrasco out wide, I can usually depend on Mostovoi to make it work. However, he does often fall foul to the issue that plagues a lot of players this FIFA to where his passes seemingly go to the wrong players, or the power is wrong. It's hard to say if that's on Mostovoi or if it's the game/connection, but it makes it hard to get a true read on his passing. It's mostly great, however, and he's definitely someone I want in the CAM position to pull the strings and make things happen.

Physical: 6/10

I was expecting Mostovoi to be fairly average physically, but he slightly surprised me be being a bit better. He's able to hold players off better than I expected, though eventually he'll lose the ball if under constant pressure from a strong enough player. His stamina feels far better than 81, I never once noticed him getting tired, even after heavy pressing. His jumping is okay, though he's never really made to be a corner threat and his aggression is decent, but I can't say I've noticed it a tonne. He's very solid physically, but obviously not a powerhouse.

Off The Ball; 9/10

I had to make a separate category for this because it deserves mentioning. I've never known a player constantly be in the right place at the right time. If there's a tap-in to be scored, Mostovoi will be lurking. If the opponent's defender steps out, Mostovoi will be making the perfect run. If I need to play my way out of danger, Mostovoi will have escaped his marker and be in space. It's almost surreal how great he is when controlled by the AI. I'm not sure if it's down to traits or somehow my "Stay Forward" tactics are doing it, but he's constantly reliable at being where you need him to be.

Overall:

I can't praise Mostovoi enough. For his price, he's absolutely incredible. Just the perfect attacking CAM in a popular league. It's not hyperbole when I saw I prefer him over RTTF Fekir. He's just all-round excellent and has one of the most powerful, accurate shots I've used on this game. I'd compare him to POTM Benzema if I had to, though it's not the most accurate comparison. His green link to any La Liga player makes him incredibly easy to get into a team and at 30k, there's no excuse not to try him out. I hope you enjoyed the review and enjoy using Mostovoi more!