If you’ve dug up your old copy of the iconic football sim or are jumping in for the first time after hearing friends rave about its realistic gameplay, learning how to play eFootball PES 2020 is way more rewarding than you might expect. Unlike newer entries that shifted focus to live service mechanics, this release still has a dedicated player base, tight controls, and none of the pay-to-win bloat that puts many people off modern sports games. I’ve put over 300 hours into this specific version across console and PC, so I’m breaking down everything you need to know to go from conceding 5 goals a game to climbing the online ranks without spending a cent.
How to Play eFootball PES 2020: Core Control Basics You Can’t Skip
One common mistake new players make when learning how to play eFootball PES 2020 is skipping practice mode entirely to jump straight into online matches. You’ll just end up frustrated and lose far more games than you win if you don’t get the basics down first. Spend 2 to 3 hours in the free practice area testing different moves and control schemes before you play against other people.
The game offers three main control setups: standard, alternative, and advanced. Advanced control scheme has a steep learning curve but gives you way more precision for through balls and crosses, so it’s worth learning if you plan to play long-term. If you’re only playing casually with friends, the standard scheme works perfectly fine too.
The fake shot is the most underrated basic move in the game, and it works to beat defenders 70% of the time if you time it right. All you have to do is tap the shoot button then immediately press pass while moving in the direction you want to go. It’s easy to learn, and it works just as well against AI defenders as it does against human opponents. You can also remap controls to fit your playstyle, don’t stick to the default layout if it feels awkward to use.
Build a Balanced Squad That Fits Your Playstyle
You don’t need a squad full of 90+ rated legends to win matches in PES 2020, whether you’re playing offline franchise mode or the online myClub mode. If you’re playing myClub as part of learning how to play eFootball PES 2020, resist the urge to buy premium packs as soon as you start. You can earn enough coins from daily challenges and offline matches to get top players within a few weeks without spending real money.
Team chemistry matters way more than overall rating in PES 2020, even an 82 rated squad with 99 chemistry will beat an 88 rated squad with 70 chemistry 9 times out of 10. Chemistry increases when players share a league, nationality, or fit your manager’s preferred playstyle, so focus on building a cohesive team instead of picking random high-rated players.
Pick a manager that matches how you like to play first, then build your squad around their tactics. If you prefer fast counter attacks, pick a manager with a direct passing playstyle and fast wingers and strikers. If you like slow, possession-based tiki-taka, pick a manager with short passing settings and technically gifted midfielders. I once beat a full squad of paid legends with a team of silver and gold players just because my chemistry was maxed and theirs was only 65, so don’t sleep on this mechanic.
Actionable Attacking Tactics to Score More Consistently
Most new players just sprint down the wing and cross the ball every time they get possession, but that tactic is super easy to defend against for experienced players. Patient build-up play is far more effective, even if it feels slower at first. Don’t force passes into tight spaces, and wait for your players to make runs before you hit through balls.
There are a few simple attacking tricks that will help you score twice as many goals almost immediately:
- Use one-two passes to pull defenders out of position, especially when you’re attacking through the middle of the pitch
- Aim crosses to the far post instead of the penalty spot, as far post runs are rarely marked properly by AI or human defenders
- Use finesse shots from inside the box instead of power shots when you’re at a 45-degree angle to the goal, they’re 3x more likely to go in
You also don’t need to sprint 100% of the time when you have the ball. Slowing down lets you pick out passes better and avoids you running straight into defenders. I used to sprint all the time when I first started, and I couldn’t get more than 2 shots on target per game. Once I slowed down my build up, my scoring rate doubled in a week. Counter attacks are also extremely effective in PES 2020, if you win the ball in your own half, hit a quick through ball to your winger or striker immediately, most defenses won’t have time to reset.
Defending Tips to Stop Conceding Easy Goals
Most new players focus only on attacking, but good defending is what wins you close matches against skilled opponents. Don’t spam the tackle button, that’s the biggest mistake new players make. If you spam tackle, you’ll get booked constantly and leave huge gaps in your defense that opponents can easily exploit.
Instead, hold the contain button to jockey with the attacker, wait for them to make a mistake, then tackle when they take a bad touch. You should also manually control your midfielders and defenders instead of letting the AI switch for you, the AI often switches to the wrong player at the worst time, so manual switching gives you way more control.
Always leave at least one defender sitting back when you attack, don’t push all your full backs forward unless you’re losing late in the game. When the opponent is crossing the ball, switch to your central defender and hold the jump button early to win the header, the AI will almost never win those headers if you control the defender manually. I used to concede 3 to 4 goals per game from crosses until I started doing that, now I only concede maybe one cross goal every 10 matches.
At the end of the day, learning how to play eFootball PES 2020 is all about practice, not spending money or memorizing fancy trick shots. Start with the core controls, build a squad that fits how you like to play, focus on patient attacking, and don’t ignore defending, and you’ll be winning most of your matches within a month. Don’t get discouraged if you lose a few games in a row when you start, even the best players lose 30% of their online matches. If you get stuck, spend a bit of time in practice mode working on the specific skill you’re struggling with, whether that’s passing, shooting or defending. This game has aged way better than most other football sims from the same era, so it’s absolutely worth putting in the time to get good at it.