FIFA 2013: Predicting Player Ratings of Top European Clubs

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FIFA 2013: Predicting Player Ratings of Top European Clubs

FIFA 13 comes out this fall.

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FIFA '13 is set to be released this fall.

With each release of the franchise comes heated anticipation of the new features, new gameplay, and most importantly, the new player ratings.

FIFA's player ratings are one of the hottest points of debate with lovers of the game. Everyone has a right to their opinion, and everyone wants to see their beloved club have good players.

Here are my player ratings for the upcoming FIFA '13 game, with the starting XI's, benches, and potential transfers in/out of the top clubs throughout Europe.

I invite you to leave your thoughts and reactions in the comments below! Here goes, starting with Arsenal.

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Team Rating: 4.5 stars

Formation: 4-3-3 (4-1-2-3)

GK	Wojciech Szczesny	82
RB	Bacary Sagna	84
RCB	Laurent Koscielny	82
LCB	Thomas Vermaelen	82
LB	Kieran Gibbs	79
CDM	Alex Song	83
RCM	Mikel Arteta	82
LCM	Jack Wilshire	82
RW	Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain	81
ST	Olivier Giroud	83
LW	Lukas Podolski	83

Bench
CB	Per Mertesacker	79
LB	Andre Santos	79
CAM	Tomas Rosicky	82
RW	Theo Walcott	82
LW	Gervinho	81

Transfers?
ST	Robin Van Persie	89
CM	Yann M'Vila	84

Conclusion

The departure of Robin Van Persie will be a huge blow to the Gunners. Sagna is the highlight of a relatively weak defense, but they are strong in the midfield with the likes of Jack Wilshire and Mikel Arteta. If Arsenal can sign Yann M'Vila from Ligue 1 side Rennes, the Gunners look to be a five-star team again. If you like to play fast, with lots of slick passing, this could be your team.

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Team Rating: 5 stars

Formation: 4-3-3

GK	Petr Cech	87
RB	Branislav Ivanovic	84
RCB	John Terry	86
LCB	David Luiz	81
LB	Ashley Cole	85
RCM	Ramires	81
CM	Michael Essien	82
LCM	Frank Lampard	84
RW	Eden Hazard	85
ST	Fernando Torres	84
LW	Juan Mata	86

Bench
CB	Gary Cahill	82
CAM	Yossi Benayoun	79
LW	Flourent Malouda	81
ST	Daniel Sturridge	82
ST	Romelu Lukaku	80

Transfers?
RW	Hulk	84
CAM	Oscar	83

Conclusion:

Chelsea have been active thus far in the transfer market. They are physical, fast and deep. What was a previously aging squad is getting younger with every transfer, such as that of Eden Hazard, who I've rated a healthy 85. Perhaps Torres' rating should be higher, but only recently has he hit form. Let's not forget his disastrous goal drought—it wasn't too long ago. Chelsea are an easy team to play with and it's hard to lose playing with them.

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Team Rating: 4.5 stars

Formation: 4-3-3

GK	Pepe Reina	84
RB	Glen Johnson	83
RCB	Martin Skrtel	82
LCB	Daniel Agger	84
LB	Jose Enrique	80
RCM	Jordan Henderson	79
LCM	Lucas Leiva	81
CAM	Steven Gerrard	85
LW	Luis Suarez	85
ST	Andy Carroll	81
RW	Joe Cole	82

Bench
LM	Stewart Downing	81
CB	Jamie Carragher	79
ST	Fabio Borini	80
CM	Alberto Aquilani	81

Transfers?
CAM	Clint Dempsey	82

Conclusion:

Liverpool has added a lot of fresh faces to the squad over the past couple seasons. Steven Gerrard and Luis Suarez are easily the team's best players. The poor form of Andy Carroll affects his rating here. New signing Fabio Borini may not start, but the youngster has a lot to prove at Anfield. Liverpool have some serious talent, but it's not at the level of Chelsea, Manchester City, or Manchester United.

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Team Rating: 5 stars

Formation: 4-2-4 (4-2-2-2)

GK	Joe Hart	84
RB	Micah Richards	83
RCB	Joleon Lescott	84
LCB	Vincent Kompany	87
LB	Gael Clichy	80
RCM	Gareth Barry	82
LCM	Yaya Toure	88
RAM	David Silva	89
LAM	Samir Nasri	83
RS	Sergio Aguero	87
LS	Mario Balotelli	84

Bench
CB	Kolo Toure	81
LB	Aleksandar Kolarov	79
CDM	Nigel De Jong	80
LM	James Milner	81
ST	Edin Dzeko	84
ST	Carlos Tevez	83

Transfers?
ST	Robin Van Persie	88

Conclusion:

Manchester City have a deep and talented team. They are strong in all parts of the pitch, from defense to striker. David Silva is their best player. It's hard to predict the starting XI of such a deep squad. Do they really need RVP? They are one of the easier teams to use in the game thanks to their physicality, speed and sheer talent in numbers. In my opinion, Manchester City is the best team in the game behind Barcelona.

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Team Rating: 5 stars

Formation: 4-5-1 (4-2-3-1)

GK	David De Gea	83
RB	Phil Jones	81
RCB	Rio Ferdinand	84
LCB	Nemanja Vidic	87
LB	Patrice Evra	83
RCM	Michael Carrick	82
LCM	Paul Scholes	81
RAM	Antonio Valencia	85
CAM	Shinji Kagawa	83
LAM	Ashley Young	83
ST	Wayne Rooney	89

Bench:
CB	Jonny Evans	81
CB	Chris Smalling	82
LM	Ryan Giggs	80
CM	Tom Cleverly	80
RW	Nani	83
ST	Javi Hernandez	81
ST	Danny Welbeck	81

Transfers?
CAM CF	Lucas Robin Van Persie	84 89

Conclusion:

Manchester United have signed Shinji Kagawa, an attacking midfielder from Japan. It's hard to speculate whether or not he will start but Fergie doesn't pay that much cash for a benchwarmer. Deep in attack, Manchester United have wingers and forwards in abundance.

Giggs and Scholes are so old, it's hard to give them ratings any higher than this. Using Manchester United in FIFA is bound to produce hundreds of combinations of starting XI's, as they have multiple players for every position. They are also one of the easier teams to use.

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Team Rating: 4.5 stars

Formation: 4-3-3 (4-1-2-3)

GK	Brad Friedel	82
RB	Kyle Walker	80
RCB	Jan Vertonghen	83
LCB	Younes Kaboul	81
LB	Benoit Assou-Ekotto	80
CDM	Scott Parker	82
RCM	Luka Modric	86
LCM	Rafael van der Vaart	83
RW	Aaron Lennon	82
ST	Emmanuel Adebayor	82
LW	Gareth Bale	85

Bench:
ST	Jermain Defoe	81
CAM	Gylfi Sigurdsson	82
CB	William Gallas	79

Conclusion:

If Luka Modric leaves Tottenham, it will be tough for the London club to replace him. Midfield is where Tottenham are weakest. Andre Villas-Boas loves his 4-3-3 system, which will make it difficult for exciting youngster Gylfi Sigurdsson to crack the starting XI right off the bat. Tottenham is comparable to the level of Arsenal and Liverpool in the game, though they are one of the fastest teams in England, with Lennon and Bale running the wings.

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Team Rating: 4.5 stars

Formation: 4-3-1-2

GK	Christian Abbiatti	84
RB	Ignazio Abate	82
RCB	Philippe Mexes	82
LCB	Francesco Acerbi	80
LB	Luca Antonini	77
RCM	Matthieu Flamini	80
CM	Riccardo Montolivo	82
LCM	Antonio Nocerino	81
CAM	Kevin-Prince Boateng	84
RS	Alexandre Pato	85
LS	Antonio Cassano	83

Bench
ST	Robinho	82
LM	Urby Emmanuelson	80
CAM	Stephan El Shaarawy	79
CB	Mario Yepes	78
CDM	Massimo Ambrosini	78
CB	Daniele Bonera	79

Transfers?
ST	Eden Dzeko	84

Conclusion:

A.C. Milan have sold their two best players to another club on this list, PSG. At the time of writing this, the club have not replaced them. This leaves Milan woefully thin at the back, as Alessandro Nesta also parted ways with the club this summer.

Milan are strong in attack but that's where the good stops. Other than Boateng, Nocerino and Montolivo, Milan don't have a lot of quality in midfield. Milan have never been an easy club to play with in recent years of FIFA, thanks to their lack of speed and physicality. They are a bit younger, and a bit faster, but the loss of Nesta and Thiago Silva has made Milan's defense look like a rickety old shack about to collapse. If you're up to the challenge, go for it—you'll embarass the heck out of your Real or Barca-using opponents.

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Team Rating: 4.5 stars

Formation: 4-3-1-2

GK	Julio Cesar	85
RB	Jonathan	81
RCB	Andrea Ranocchia	81
LCB	Walter Samuel	82
LB	Yuto Nagatomo	80
LCM	Ricardo Alvarez	82
CM	Esteban Cambiasso	81
RM	Dejan Stankovic	80
CAM	Wesley Sneijder	85
RS	Giampaolo Pazzini	80
LS	Diego Milito	82

Bench
CB	Juan	81
LB	Javier Zanetti	80
CAM	Phillipe Coutinho	82
RB	Maicon	83

Conclusion:

Inter Milan have done relatively little to refresh their aging squad. They seemed to have sold away much more talent than they have bought back. Those that they do buy aren't even good enough to crack the starting XI for the most part. They may even be worse off than their city rivals. Sneidjer and Julio Cesar are the bright spots on an otherwise unimpressive roster. Not an easy team to play with against the top sides.

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Team Rating: 5 stars

Formation: 4-2-4 (4-2-2-2)

GK	Gianluigi Buffon	88
RB	Stephan Lichsteiner	81
RCB	Andrea Barzagli	82
LCB	Leonardo Bonucci	83
LB	Giorgio Chiellini	86
RCM	Andrea Pirlo	88
LCM	Claudio Marchisio	81
RAM	Arturo Vidal	84
LAM	Sebastian Giovinco	83
RS	Alessandro Matri	80
LS	Mirko Vucinic	81

Bench
CB	Lucio	81
RW	Simone Pepe	77
CM	Kwadwo Asamoah	81
LM	Milos Krasic	79
ST	Fabio Quagliarella	79
ST	Marco Borriello	78

Transfers?
ST	Robin Van Persie	88

Conclusion:

Juventus have added several players this summer, but few will crack the starting XI already in place. Andrea Pirlo and Gianluigi Buffon are head and shoulders above the rest of the squad in ability. Juve is strong in all areas but attack. Their forwards are not at the level of the rest of the squad—if Juventus were to add a world-class striker this summer, they'd be a serious force in FIFA.

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Team Rating: 4.5 stars

Formation: 4-3-1-2

GK	Maarten Stekelenburg	85
RB	Rodrigo Taddei	80
RCB	Nicolas Burdisso	81
LCB	Gabriel Heinze	79
LB	Jose Angel	77
RCM	Michael Bradley	79
CM	Daniele De Rossi	85
LCM	Miralem Pjanic	83
CAM	Erik Lamela	82
CF	Francesco Totti	81
ST	Bojan Krkic	80

Bench
RM	Simone Perrotta	78
ST	Mattia Destro	77
ST	Pablo Osvaldo	80

Transfers?
ST	Marco Borriello	80

Conclusion:

Roma have been rebuilding for a while now. They boast plenty of young talent around their core of Daniele De Rossi and Francesco Totti. Roma's defense is somewhat weak, but it's backed by a very talented shot-stopper in Maarten Stekelenburg. If you're gonna win with Roma, the team won't do you any favors—your talent will win you the game, not the players.

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Team Rating: 5 stars

Formation: 4-2-3-1 (4-2-4)

GK	Manuel Neuer	87
RB	Rafinha	82
RCB	Holger Badstuber	84
LCB	Jerome Boateng	81
LB	Phillip Lahm	86
CDM	Bastian Schweinsteiger	85
CDM	Toni Kroos	83
RAM	Arjen Robben	88
CAM	Thomas Muller	82
LAM	Frank Ribery	87
ST	Mario Gomez	85

Conclusion:

Bayern Munich are loaded with talent at all positions on the pitch. They have two of the world's best wingers in Ribery and Robben, who each deserve at least 87. While Gomez is certainly a formidable force up front, he doesn't deserve more than 85. Bayern's issues, if you can call it that, lie in defense, with inconsistent talent across the back four. Bayern will be one of the best squads in FIFA 13.

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Team Rating: 5 stars

Formation: 4-1-2-3 (4-3-3)

GK	Victor Valdes	84
RWB	Dani Alves	86
RCB	Gerard Pique	88
LCB	Carles Puyol	85
LWB	Jordi Alba	83
CDM	Sergio Busquets	83
RAM	Xavi Hernandez	90
LAM	Andres Iniesta	91
RW	Alexis Sanchez	85
CF	Lionel Messi	94
LW	Cesc Fabregas	87

Bench
ST	David Villa	86
LW	Pedro	84
CM	Thiago Alcantara	82
CDM	Javier Mascherano	82
RW	Ibrahim Affelay	80
LB	Eric Abidal	81

Conclusion:

Ahhh, FC Barcelona. We've heard it all with them—too stacked, too deep, too ... good. As the best player on planet earth, Lionel Messi is, and should be, FIFA 13's highest ranked player. Other mercurial talents supporting him such as Xavi and Iniesta also get high marks. One thing I've really gotten annoyed about over the years is how overrated Valdes seems to be in FIFA games. I'm sorry, he's no Casillas. It's hard enough scoring against Barca, but Valdes has been ranked way too high for too long. 84 is really good. If you're terrible at FIFA, use Barcelona. If you're really good at FIFA, don't use Barcelona. It's just not fair how good they are.

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Team Rating: 5 stars

Formation: 4-2-3-1 (4-2-4)

GK	Iker Casillas	90
RB	Alvaro Arbeloa	81
RCB	Sergio Ramos	87
LCB	Pepe	85
LB	Marcelo	83
RCM	Sami Khedira	82
LCM	Xabi Alonso	85
RAM	Angel Di Maria	84
CAM	Mesut Ozil	88
LAM	Cristiano Ronaldo	93
ST	Karim Benzema	85

Bench
CAM	Kaka	83
CM	Nuri Sahin	81
CM	Callejon	81
CDM	Lassana Diarra	80
ST	Gonzalo Higuain	84
LB	Fabio Coentrao	81

Conclusion:

Barca's eternal rivals, Real Madrid, boast the second-best player on earth in Cristiano Ronaldo. I think Ozil is one of the best attacking midfielders in the world. Di Maria has been overrated in past renditions of FIFA. As the best goalkeeper in the world, Casillas' 90 is the highest for a goalkeeper in the game. Very much akin to using Barca, using Madrid as an elite FIFA player will do nothing but boost your ego as you slaughter all signs of opponents. This is another team that will mask your own ability to play FIFA, as the talents of the players are so high.

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Team Rating: 5 stars

Formation: 4-2-3-1

GK	Salvatore Sirigu	81
RB	Christophe Jallet	77
RCB	Thiago Silva	90
LCB	Mamadou Sakho	83
LB	Maxwell	80
CDM	Mohamed Sissoko	82
CDM	Thiago Motta	81
RAM	Jeremy Menez	84
CAM	Javier Pastore	85
LAM	Ezequiel Lavezzi	84
ST	Zlatan Ibrahimovic	88

Bench
CB	Alex	81
LW	Nene	82
ST	Guillaume Hoarau	79

Conclusion:

PSG are Europe's latest club to play the Manchester City spending-spree role. In the past year this team has acquired a squad capable of doing some serious damage in Europe. Thiago Silva is worthy of his 89 rating, as I think he's the best center back in the world. New signing Zlatan Ibrahimovic had a season to remember at Milan, scoring 28 goals in 32 appearances. This justifies his 88. Still weaker in the middle of the park, PSG have a front four that could do great things together. PSG will be a lot of fun to use in FIFA, thanks to its mix of world-class talent and not-so-skilled players.

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So my ratings aren't perfect, but how could anyone's be? It's opinion, but I tried to be as objective as humanly possible.

Here are my rankings of each team. Remember, these are FIFA 13 ratings, not real-life ratings. I think in FIFA 13 the best teams, in this order, will be: