Stable shapes
Use 4-3-3 or 4-4-2 when you want common positions and a straightforward distribution of players across the pitch.
SQUAD-BUILDING STRATEGY
38-0-0 XI Building Guide
A great 38-0-0 XI is more than a list of famous players. The formation creates positional demand, each spin changes the available solution, and one neglected unit can reduce an otherwise elite squad. Use these game-specific principles to make deliberate choices without turning every run into the same team.
Choose a Formation That Matches Your Risk
The 4-3-3 asks for two wide attackers and three central midfielders, which makes it easy to understand but demanding when the wheel repeatedly offers strikers. The 4-4-2 reduces the number of specialist forward roles and gives two central striker slots. A 3-5-2 or 5-3-2 increases dependence on wing-back compatibility, while the 4-2-3-1 creates separate defensive-midfield and attacking-midfield decisions.
Specialist shapes
Use a wing-back or attacking-midfielder system when you want the draft to test positional flexibility and roster depth.
No formation guarantees a better simulation result. The practical advantage comes from recognizing which open slots are becoming difficult and preserving compatible players for them.
Read Position Compatibility as a Resource
A player’s natural position can unlock more than one formation slot. Full-backs may cover wing-back roles, central midfielders can solve several midfield slots, and some attacking players can move across the front line. The useful question is not only “Who has the highest number?” but “Which future problem does this pick remove?”
Goalkeeper is the clearest constraint because outfield players cannot cover it. Central defence is usually deeper, but spending every versatile defensive player early can leave a wing-back formation stuck with poor choices. In midfield, a flexible CM can be more valuable than a slightly stronger specialist when several different slots remain open.
Balance the Four Squad Units
The squad summary reports attack, midfield, defence and goalkeeper strength separately. A spectacular forward line can still be paired with a weak goalkeeper score or an underpowered midfield. Before locking a late pick, inspect which unit trails the others and whether the current team offers a compatible improvement.
Ratings describe the game data rather than an objective historical verdict. They are best used as feedback for the simulation model. Turning ratings off creates a different challenge: rely on the club season, the player’s role and your own knowledge, then reveal the final unit scores after the XI is complete.
Three Verifiable In-Game Decisions
Example 1: protect the goalkeeper slot
In AC Milan 2002/03, Dida is listed as a goalkeeper. If GK is still open, selecting an outfield star cannot solve that slot; taking Dida removes a unique structural risk that another attacker would leave behind.
Example 2: use Roma midfield flexibility
AS Roma 2000/01 includes midfield options associated with a title-winning side. In a three-midfielder formation, preserve players who can occupy central roles instead of filling a flexible slot with a forward too early. Try the exact roster through the 38-0-0 Roma challenge.
Example 3: compare unit scores, not only overall
After eleven selections, the squad page exposes ATT, MID, DEF and GK values. Two teams with a similar overall number can have very different weak points, so a replay can target the lowest unit rather than simply chasing a higher headline score.
New to the controls? Read how to play the 38-0-0 game. Ready to test the choices? Start the Serie A game or build a European squad in the Champions League XI game.
Build Your Serie A XI