RTTK Emiliano Buendía is a free attacking midfielder card with solid value, and he's a good fit for squads that need a CAM upgrade. His in-game value mainly shows in dribbling, playmaking, and shooting from outside the box. His attacking attributes are fairly balanced, but two fairly important attributes—pace and physical duels—aren't standout.
How does Buendía perform in-game?
Dribbling is his biggest in-game strength
The attribute distribution of 91 Balance and 87 Dribbling is very good, giving him a big edge when receiving the ball, turning, and escaping defenders in tight spaces. Combined with the Technical and Press Proven PlayStyles, he can bring out solid ball retention.
If your attacking habit is to have your CAM receive the ball and then use close-quarters dribbling to find a pass or shot, he'll suit you well.
Decent long-shot threat
82 Finishing isn't especially standout, but 90 Att. Position, 87 Long Shots, and 88 Curve combined with the Finesse Shot PlayStyle give him a solid threat from outside the box.
Especially at CAM, he can look for long-shot chances around the top of the box and doesn't have to rely entirely on the striker to finish attacks.
Suited to playmaking
Buendía has two passing PlayStyles, Incisive Pass and Whipped Pass, which let him not only play short passing combinations through the middle but also find runners with through balls.
However, 80 Long Passing isn't especially standout, so I wouldn't recommend using him as a playmaking hub specifically responsible for long-range switching.
In-game weaknesses
Buendía's biggest problems are pace and physical duels.
- Pace is only 82: although Acceleration is 83, his overall pace isn't standout, making it hard to gain an edge through speed.
- Physical duels are only 74: Strength is just 68, and he's only 172cm tall. He'll be under a lot of pressure against strong midfielders or defenders.
- Stamina is only 78: he isn't suited to long spells of high-intensity pressing and covering a lot of ground.
What are the best positions and Role++ for Buendía?
CAM Shadow Striker++ or CAM Playmaker++ are the most recommended. The former fully uses his 90 Att. Position and decent shooting attributes, while the latter is better suited to short passing and through-ball playmaking.
For chemistry style, consider Hunter first to make up for his pace weakness while also boosting his shooting.
RTTK upgrade potential
As of November 7, Aston Villa are 6th in the Champions League league phase, inside the top 8 that directly advances to the knockout stage, so there's strong upgrade potential.
However, since this card was released on November 6, wins and goals from before that don't count toward the new PlayStyle and passing/dribbling upgrade conditions.
The focus is on the next four matches:
- November 24: Galatasaray vs Aston Villa
- December 8: Aston Villa vs Paris Saint-Germain
- January 19, 2027: Aston Villa vs Borussia Dortmund
- January 27, 2027: Slavia Prague vs Aston Villa
Facing Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund back-to-back won't be easy, so the 3-win upgrade condition is somewhat difficult.
Is this card worth getting?
Yes, it's worth getting, for the following reasons:
- Free to obtain: It doesn't cost SBC fodder or transfer market coins. The acquisition cost is mainly completing the event objectives, and the event isn't too difficult.
- Decent in-game ability: Dribbling, passing, and shooting are all fairly competitive, and he can handle the CAM position.
- Upgrade potential: Aston Villa are currently in the Champions League top eight, and Buendía still has a chance to get an RTTK upgrade.
