PES 2020: Controls guide (goalkeeper, defence & attack) on PS4 and Xbox One

If you consider yourself a useful player when it comes to football games, you may find it a bit basic to look through the official controls of the game. However, you will be surprised what you find in there, with little subtle tweaks made to the controls year on year.

This is no different on PES 2020, as do you know how to perform a dive in the box, or manually get one of your teammates to make a run forward?

There is an arsenal of controls available for you to use, as well as the skill moves to give you something extra. 

Standard attacking controls

RealSport brings you a guide to all the controls on this year's game.

This is what you should most be familiar with, and not much of it needs explaining. The only thing that could be of use is super cancel, to be used if you change your mind from making a pass or shot. If you really fancy yourself as a top player, you could try to use manual controls to make your passing and finishing more precise.

Standard defensive controls

COM teammates pressure

Winning the ball back on PES is incredibly difficult, and for first timers you must recognise the standing tackle control. Tackling is still very difficult to time, so look to find a balance between pressing your opponent and using your teammates to steal the ball back.

Dribbling controls

Speed burst 

What you can do with the ball at your feet will separate the men from the boys on PES 2019. You need to understand what kind of dribbles can be performed when sprinting, allowing you to burst past your opponent and open up the defence. Have a practice with these in the training mode, and if you can nail the dive control, you can win yourself some vital penalties and wind up your mates.

Trap controls

Through feint

Trap controls just apply when receiving the ball. These can be used to gain a yard or two on the defender, or to slow the game down to suck them back. Master these and the tempo of the game will be in the palm of your hand.

Advanced movement control

These advanced controls are rarely used, but they can give you an extra edge. Want to change to a specific player? Simply flick the right stick in the direction of the player you want. Getting your positioning right for high balls is also useful and increases the odds of you winning an aerial battle. As for jockeying in defence, with defending as hard as it is, and the inability to sprint whilst jockeying, this is a hard control to master.

Advanced passing controls

A great way to break down the defence on PES 2020 is with short, sharp passing. If you can throw in here a sweet final through ball, then few opponents have a chance against you. The one-two moves or the pass and move should be heavily used with the opponent often struggling to track the runners, and if you really want to cut the defence in tow, get the teammate forward run going so you can play balls forward when you want.

Advanced shooting controls

These two shooting controls will be vital when you get in and around the box. The controlled shot is to be used when you are looking to bend the ball into the corner and opting for placement rather than power. As for the chip shot, it can be difficult to know when to use, with goalkeepers on PES reluctant to rush out from goal. If you do come within inches of the goalkeeper, use the chip shot and see the ball dink over him as the 'keeper drops to the ground.

Set piece controls

Set-pieces are difficult to master on PES 2020, so make sure you take the time in training to at least give yourself a chance of finding the net. There are plenty of options you can tinker with, so it is important to find what works, and at what range, for you. When playing against the COM, fouls are at a premium, but when playing your mates the challenges may fly around; make sure you are prepared.

Penalty controls

With penalties, it's all about making sure you use the aiming guide. Once you have a feel for this, you can go without it, as you won't want to telegraph your spot-kick to an offline opponent. The chipped penalty, or Panenka, can be used if you want the goalkeeper to look silly, but miss and you'll be the one with egg on your face.

GK controls (on the ball)

All fairly standard, but if you have a striker who is great in the air, it may be worth utilising the high punt kick to give the forward more time to get under the ball. If you are about to throw the ball straight to an opponent, save your blushes with the pass feint control.

Strategy controls

For top end PES players, knowing how and when to use strategies can put you in the ascendancy. In attack, these can be attacking full backs or tiki-taka, whereas in defence you have the gegenpress and tight marking. Find the tactics that work for your side, and in your formation.