It’s Christmaaaaas! Well, it’s actually FUTmas, EA’s annual festive promotion.
In the run up to Christmas special FUTmas promo cards will be released via SBCs and Objectives. Today we’re looking at one of the latest offerings, 87-rated Fekir.
To get your hands on this version of Fekir, you will need to rustle together:
- an 87-rated squad
- with a minimum of 1 Liga Santander player
- with a minimum of 60 chemistry.
We estimate that this SBC will cost around the 200k mark in the current FUT market.
Nabil Fekir (OVR 87)
Age: 26
Position: CAM
Club: Real Betis
Country: France
Best stats: 94 balance, 92 ball control, 93 dribbling
Estimated SBC Cost: 200,000 coins
Nabil Fekir played has played the majority of career at Lyon, making a combined 207 appearances for their reserve and first teams, scoring 67 goals along the way. A French international, Nabil Fekir was part of the 23-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. Fekir played the last nine minutes of the final, lifting the World Cup for the first time in his career.
So let's break down this card and look at those stats...
Pace
Fekir’s pace is very good, especially for a CAM. A substantial +4 upgrade from his 84-rated gold card, this version has 83 acceleration and 80 sprint speed, making him a real danger for opposition defences, with his darting runs and quick turns of pace.
READ MORE: FIFA Ultimate Team – The Best 70k Squad
Shooting
Fekir’s shooting stats are great, with an overall 86 rating. 84 positioning means he will more often than not find himself in dangerous positions, and 86 finishing, 88 shot power and 86 long shots make him lethal in front of goal. Inside or outside the box, Fekir will score goals for you.
Passing
Fekir also has a very good 84 passing. 84 vision means Fekir will be able to pick out those passes that slice defences open, and 86 crossing means he’ll whip in dangerous balls as well as anyone. 86 short passing is also another massive asset for Fekir, meaning he will very rarely play a stray pass.
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Dribbling
Dribbling is what makes this card really stand out. An overall 91 rating in this department, combined with 4 star skills make Fekir a very agile, fluid card. 94 balance and 92 ball control mean he is very comfortable on the ball, and 93 dribbling and 92 composure mean he can sail through defences and make that final pass, or shot, with ease.
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Defending & Physicality
This card is not defensive in any way, but in terms of physicality, it is very good. An overall 82 rating for physicality is a +5 from his 84-rated gold, and a +3 from his 86-rated Team of the Week card. 87 strength in this department means Fekir can hold off defenders easily as you look for that decisive pass or shot in the danger areas.
Verdict
An 87-rated Nabil Fekir, with considerable upgrades from his 84-rated gold, is nothing to turn your nose up at. This card performs great in-game, and being a central, French, La Liga player make him very easy to link for chemistry.
To get the most out of this card, we strongly recommend using a Hunter chemistry style. Competent as a CAM, this card really meets its true potential at the Striker position. Convert Fekir up to a ST, apply a Hunter and you've got yourself forward with 91 pace and 92 shooting. Merry Christmas!
CAM > CF > ST: Take advantage of Fekir's full potential at Striker.
However… the overall cost of this SBC prices this card around the 200,000 coin mark, and when you consider you can purchase Fekir’s gold card for around 4,000 coins, and his 86-rated RM card for just over 25,000 - it is a VERY expensive card.
If you have coins to burn, why not indulge yourself? He’s fast, strong, dangerous going forward and easy to link. However, if your coin balance isn’t bursting at the seams, we recommend steering clear of this festive Fekir SBC.
READ MORE: The best PS4 games you can pick up this Christmas
However, to succeed in Ultimate Team, it's vital you set up in the right formation, as well as sign the right players.
With so many formations to choose from, setting up your team in FIFA 20 can seem a little overwhelming.
However, there are more than a handful of easy-to-learn tactics that will help you get the most out of your team in EA’s new game.
Follow this link for a run through of the seven best formations that FIFA 20 has to offer.