Questionable tactical decisions by AI

[stopazricky]

Hey guys, I was playing against Real in UCL Quarter Finals. It's 2030 and they have Sebastiano Esposito on their team, winner of the last two Ballon d'Or consecutively. We draw 0-0 the first leg at home in Bergamo, mostly thanks to their incredibly good newgen goalkeeper.

Now, The second leg starts and the GK they are playing is the cup matches GK. I go and check the better one - who was in the bench - and he was happy and healthy. Then, 51 minutes into the second leg, still 0-0, Real coach subs Esposito out for seemingly no reason. No injury, nothing like that, just a bit jaded over the course of the last few matches. I end up scraping a 1-1 draw in Santiago Bernabeu and proceeding to Semifinals.

The thing is, I was up against the best striker in the world, and they were gonna need a goal sooner or later. Why did they sub him out?
The only mildly reasonable explanation for that is that their following game was Copa del Rey Final. Which I mean... it's a Cup Final. How's that more important than progressing in UCL? A knock-out phase second leg in UCL should take precedence... also couldn't he just play both games - the second leg and the cup final - and then rest soon after? And what's with the goalkeeper, they don't even get tired.

This win feels a bit undeserved. Imagine being up against Real a few years ago, both team fighting to their deaths to keep going in UCL, and then they sub Ronaldo out after less than an hour. It feels... wrong.

Oh, sorry for the edit - I forgot to say Real's coach is Klopp. I feel he should know better.

Edited September 12, 2021 by stopazricky

[enigmatic]

So they replaced a world class player who was tired with another probably world class player who wasn't. That doesn't seem that strange. Normally the criticism of the AI is the other way: it overplays tired stars.

Real life Klopp subbed a very unimpressed Salah on the hour for Alex Oxlade Chamberlain whilst a goal down to Chelsea.

[De Nile]

8 hours ago, stopazricky said:

just a bit jaded over the course of the last few matches.

Depending on how many times he's played it would be best to take him off before he gets injured, actions like this preserve the strikers form so he could give his best all the time.

And if you think this is unrealistic Arsenal's Arteta subbed off Aubameyang in crucial semi final clash against Villarreal and lost on aggregate.

8 hours ago, stopazricky said:

Imagine being up against Real a few years ago, both team fighting to their deaths to keep going in UCL, and then they sub Ronaldo out after less than an hour. It feels... wrong.

Real in that scenario might not have lost anyway because it not like they depend on CR7 he adds the finishing touches to an already strong team if you take Cristiano off, your team doesn't instantly become toothless they just have less firepower.

Edited September 12, 2021 by De Nile