Sporting vs Manchester City in EA FC 25: Sporting vs Manchester City: Which is the better team in EA FC 25?

Ahead of the Sporting vs Manchester City matchup in UCL, we will be determining which team performs best in EA FC 25. The heavyweights from their respective regions are going toe-to-toe to secure their positions in the RO16 of the European competition. While all eyes will be on Ruben Amorim as the upcoming game will be his last appearance as a manager for the Portuguese side, Manchester City might struggle in the absence of their pivot defensive midfielder Rodri.

Regardless of their real-life situation, both squads boast an exceptional set of players including Viktor Gyokeres, Goncalo Inacio, Erling Haaland, Rodri, and Phil Foden in EA FC 25. This article will compare the tactics, formation, and other crucial factors to determine which team will come out on top in the clash between Sporting vs Manchester City.

Note: Several aspects of this article are subjective and solely represent the author's opinions.

Check out EA FC 25 review

Sporting vs Manchester City in EA FC 25: Which team is better?

This section of the article will compare the tactics and the starting XI of both Sporting and Manchester City. However, do note that the following lineup and tactics might not have any similarities with the original squad and formation the managers use in real life. We've only included the top-rated players of both teams.

That said, here's the comparison between these powerhouses of Europe:

Sporting vs Manchester City in EA FC 25: Player attributes comparison

Sporting vs Manchester City: Formation comparison (Image via EA Sports)

Both Manchester City and Sporting CP operate on a similar philosophy inside the pitch. They mostly try to play a possession-based game while constantly looking for chances to run in behind the opponent's defense.

Swedish wonder Viktor Gyokeres (90 Pace and 91 Physicality) with an overall rating of 84, leads the frontline for the Portuguese side. However, City's Erling Haaland (88 Pace and 92 Shooting) with a 91 overall rating should easily outplay the Swedish striker in several aspects.

Viktor Gyokeres in EA FC 25 (Image via EA Sports)

For Sporting's midfield, Pedro Goncalves (84 Passing and 84 Dribbling) and Trincao (78 Passing and 83 Dribbling) are the main key playmakers that help Gyokeres from behind.

The Portuguese team also has Nuno Santos (83 Passing and 81 Shooting) and Geny Catamo (88 Pace and 81 Dribbling) maintaining pressure on the wide area, while Morten Hjulmand (76 Passing and 75 Defending) and Alfonos Morita (81 Pace and 74 Dribbling) show up in both attack and defense.

Phil Foden in EA FC 25 (Image via EA Sports)

On the contrary, the English duo Jack Grealish (88 Dribbling and 82 Passing) and Phil Foden (86 Pace and 90 Dribbling) play the inside forward roles to help the Norwegian goal-scoring machine. Meanwhile, the trio of Kevin De Bruyne (87 Shooting and 94 Passing), Rodri (86 Passing and 87 Defending), and Bernando Silva (86 Passing and 92 Dribbling) maintain pressure on the opponent.

These ratings make it quite evident that Manchester City is likely to disrupt Sporting's midfield with ease.

As far as the backline is concerned, the Leoles have three exceptional defenders featuring Goncalo Inacio (80 Pace and 81 Defending), Ousmane Diomande (80 Pace and 77 Defending), and Matheus Reis (77 Pace and 78 Defending).

However, the Sky Blues have quite a few promising defenders with superior overall ratings, like Josko Gvardiol (Pace 79 and Defending 83), John Stones (79 Dribbling and 85 Defending), Ruben Dias (87 Physicality and 89 Defending), and Kyle Walker (89 Pace and 81 Physicality). These players should be able to stop the Sporting forwards and midfielders without breaking a sweat.

Lastly, Manchester City's Ederson (88) seems to have an upper hand over Franco Israel (75) in numerous attributes, including Ball Handling, and Kicking.

Sporting vs Manchester City in EA FC 25: Tactics and formation comparison

Sporting vs Manchester City preset tactics (Image via EA Sports)

Sporting CP follows a standard 3-4-2-1 formation featuring attacking fullbacks. They are also accustomed to a Short Passing Build-Up style and a High Defensive Approach. Both the CAMs act as Playmakers helping Gyokeres in the forward line. Meanwhile, both LM and RM act as inverted wingers to keep the options open in the wide areas. In the three-at-the-back setup, two CBs play the role of Ball-Playing Defenders.

On the contrary, mighty Manchester City adopts a 4-3-3 Holding formation with traditional wingers in EA FC 25. Similar to the Leoes, they follow a Short Passing Build-Up style and High Defensive line to play an offside trap. City players also keep their options open in wide areas with the existing wingers

While De Bruyne goes for a Box-to-Box approach, Bernardo Silva takes up a Half-Winger approach to put additional pressure on the wings. Additionally, the CDM plays as a Deep Lying Playmaker, as the pivot of the team.

Sporting vs Manchester City in EA FC 25: Final Verdict

Judging from the aforementioned attributes, it's quite evident that the Manchester City squad is way better in several aspects than Sporting CP. Whether it is attacking, the midfield, or the backline area, City players have a cohesive setup that can tear apart Sporting CP's defense with their strategies. Fans must select Manchester City in EA FC 25 over Sporting to yield the optimal results in a Sporting vs Manchester City matchup.

For more matchup articles from EA's latest football sim title, check out more from Sportskeeda's EA FC 25 page:

Edited by Shraman Mitra