- Rank S — it holds up in Division 1.
- Four attackers packed into the middle. Get it into a CF or the SS and combine at close range.
- No wingers means a full-back on the ball has no forward pass. Build through the centre, or go long.
The narrow 4-2-1-3 drops the wingers and packs all three forwards into the middle as two CFs with an SS between them. Add the AMF and you have four attackers standing within a few yards of each other, combining at close range. Behind them the full-backs never push on, so the back four and two DMFs stay solid. You give up the flanks entirely to make the centre as dangerous as it can be.
4-2-1-3: overview
| Rank | SWorks in Division 1 |
|---|---|
| In one line | Two CFs and an SS packed into the middle — a shape built to break the centre open |
| Biggest weapon | A solid base of a back four and two DMFs, with four attackers combining centrally |
| Biggest weakness | No wingers, so a full-back on the ball gets trapped; two CBs against three forwards |
| Suits you if | You want to defend solidly and open teams up through the middle |
| Not for you if | You want to attack down the flanks with wingers |
| Team Playstyle | Long Ball Counter / Quick Counter |
Rank S means it works in Division 1. Our ranks come from the Division a formation actually holds up in — this one won five, drew two and lost one of eight games in Division 1, scoring 20 and conceding six.
What it does well, and where it hurts
- Two CFs, an SS and the AMF give you four attackers through the middle — one more body centrally than a two-forward shape.
- The front three stand much closer together than in a winger-based three, so the close-range combinations actually come off.
- The full-backs never have to push on, so the back four and two DMFs stay solid — six conceded in eight Division 1 games.
- With no wingers, a full-back who receives the ball has no forward pass and gets pressed into trouble.
- Two CBs leaves you outnumbered against three forwards on the counter.
- You have given up the flanks, so a packed centre leaves you nowhere to go.
The shape
Narrow 4-2-1-3: a back four, two holding midfielders, an AMF and three forwards through the middle.
A back four, two DMFs in front of it, one AMF, and two CFs with an SS between them. Pulling the front three inside puts the CFs, the SS and the AMF within a few yards of each other, and that tight central four is the whole idea.
How to attack
Everything runs through the central four. Whether you are keeping the ball or countering, the job is the same: get it into a CF or the SS. Once it lands, the short combinations between those four break the line.
Possession Game: combinations through the middle
The central four is one more body than a two-forward shape, and three of them can combine at close range. That is what opens the line.
- A DMF plays a vertical pass into the left CF
- The left CF lays it off first time to the SS
- The SS switches it to the right CF
- The right CF slides a through ball in for the SS running in behind
- The SS gets away and finishes
The AMF arriving from deep
The forwards do not have to be the ones who finish. Hold the ball up and the AMF arrives late into the space that opens behind the defence.
- A DMF plays a vertical pass into a CF, who holds it up and buys a moment
- The AMF runs beyond that CF and takes the through ball
- The AMF gets in behind and finishes
Quick Counter: the one-two with the SS
Win it in midfield and the shortest route forward is straight into the central four. One exchange and you are through.
- A DMF cuts it out in midfield and plays the shortest pass forward into a CF
- That CF lays it into the SS
- The SS returns it first time as that CF spins in behind
- That CF gets away and finishes
Building up
The full-backs are not a route out. Build through the centre. If the press is too much to play through, hit it long to a CF rather than forcing it.
Through the centre: CB to DMF, then into the forwards
Keep it central and short. The DMFs are the only route out, and from there the ball goes straight into the central four.
- A CB plays it into a DMF
- That DMF plays a vertical pass into a CF
- Or that DMF finds the SS instead
Mistakes people make, and the fix
You try to escape a press through a full-back and get countered
| Why it happens | What to do |
|---|---|
| The natural out-ball against a high press is the full-back. With no winger ahead there is no pass on, the opposition midfield swarms in, and the forced vertical ball into a CF gets cut out — straight into a counter. | If the full-back is going to get trapped, go long instead and hit a CF. Do not plan your build-up round the full-backs. |
You lose it in midfield and three forwards run at two CBs
| Why it happens | What to do |
|---|---|
| Two CBs against three forwards leaves you outnumbered, so one loose ball in midfield turns into a goal. | Do not force vertical passes in midfield, and press with the AMF and the DMFs the instant you lose it, so the counter never starts. |
How to defend with it
Keeping the full-backs at home makes the back four and two DMFs very hard to play through. The one hole is the count at the back, and you cover that with what you do in midfield.
| Area | What to do |
|---|---|
| Midfield | Press the ball carrier with the AMF and the DMFs. Win it high and you are straight into a Quick Counter. |
| Wide | The plan is central, so let the full-backs defend. Set them to Defensive in Individual Instructions and even an attacking full-back will stay back and hold the flank. |
| Back line | Two CBs leaves you outnumbered against three forwards. That is structural, so the answer is upstream: do not lose it in midfield, and press the moment you do. |
| When ahead | Drop the AMF into midfield and go 4-3-3 to thicken the centre and see the game out. |
Players and playing styles that fit
The playing style matters more than the overall rating here. These are the ones the shape actually asks for.
| Position | Playing Style | Why |
|---|---|---|
| CF (both) | Goal Poacher | Running in behind is a must. For the second one, a forward who also drops in and links through the middle works well. |
| SS | Creative Playmaker | Supplies the through balls for the CFs and gets in behind as well. This is the player who makes the central four work. |
| AMF | Hole Player | Comes short to keep the ball moving, then arrives late into the space that opens up. The focal point of the attack. |
| DMF (ball-winner) | Box To Box | The way out for the CBs and the full-backs, and the one who presses forward to start Quick Counters. |
| DMF (holder) | Anchor Man | Stays at the base and holds the centre. Not moving is the point. |
| Full-backs | Defensive Full-back | Good enough on the ball not to give it away building up, but kept defending. |
| CBs | Destroyer, and quick | Only two of them, so you want CBs who go and win it, with the pace to deal with three-forward counters. |
Best managers for this formation
4-2-1-3 runs on Long Ball Counter and Quick Counter, so what you want is a manager with high proficiency in those. Every manager below is rank SS on eFootball LABO — high proficiency, a booster and a link-up — picked for their proficiency in these playstyles.
Best managers for Long Ball Counter
Best managers for Quick Counter
Get the ball into the central four and break the line with short combinations. Full-backs on Defensive, and go 4-3-3 when you are ahead.
Matchups
| Opponent | Matchup | Why, and what to do |
|---|---|---|
| Sides that sit in a block | Good | You can get more bodies into the middle than they can comfortably cover, and four players combining at close range will find a way through. |
| Three forwards on the counter (4-3-3 and similar) | Poor | Two CBs leaves you outnumbered when they break. Do not lose it in midfield, and press the instant you do. |
| Sides that press high | Poor | Your full-backs have no forward pass, so the press traps them. Go long to a CF rather than trying to play out of it. |
Matchups are provisional and come from played matches. We update them as we play more.
FAQ
Is the narrow 4-2-1-3 good in eFootball?
How is it different from a normal 4-2-1-3?
What Team Playstyle should I use with the narrow 4-2-1-3?
What is the weakness of the narrow 4-2-1-3?
How do I actually attack with it?
What should I switch to when I am ahead?
Summary
- The spine of it is two CFs and an SS packed into the middle. It is a different shape from the winger version, not a tweak of it: you trade width for numbers centrally.
- Attack through close-range combinations between the front three and the AMF, and the AMF arriving late. Build through the centre — the full-backs are not a route out.
- The weaknesses are the trapped full-back against a press and the counter against two CBs. Go long when the press bites, and switch to 4-3-3 when you are ahead.
