The automatic gameplay mechanics need to be toned down.

I just played some H2H... It deliberately ruins every 1v1 chance I create. A Diop with base stats catches up to my 126-rated Messi... and it barely lets me score—maybe one header or a goal or two at most. It forced six consecutive draws, handing the opponent a lucky goal; I’d have 90% possession—opponents wouldn't even touch the ball—yet they’d get a free goal. The goalkeeper passes the ball to the opponent, or the game manipulates the clumsy physics and ball-bouncing until the ball lands at the opponent's feet, just so they can score too. 3- or 4-star opponents dribble themselves off the pitch, yet the game consoles them with a free goal and a draw. I’m really getting sick of what’s going on in this game. I played 10 matches, and barely four were normal or fair; in the others, the AI ​​mechanics interfered to force a draw. It’s too much for me; this is a simulation rather than a game. I don't understand why the automated gameplay has to interfere so much. For instance, I couldn't step up or slide tackle with my defender because he wouldn't react; he just stared at the ground blankly while the opponent clumsily put the ball in the net. My goalkeeper didn't even move for a weak shot from outside the box—the ball was about 5 meters away, and he didn't even dive; nothing. What’s happening in the game is excessive... I’m starting to see no point in it; there’s no enjoyment left. I play, I create chances beautifully... I set up my defense, score 2-3 goals, and then the AI ​​"levels the playing field" just so no one loses interest—you simply can't win three matches in a row once you hit 9 stars; the game cheated me out of every match after I beat three players with 10+ stars, forcing draws or losses against much weaker opponents who didn't even have breakaways, fast runs, or scoring chances. I'm getting fed up with this. I get that they need to keep players somewhat stagnant so they'll pay to advance, but this has gone way too far; you literally come to the conclusion that "the game just won't let you move up or progress." That’s exactly why I’m not spending any more money on this game—there’s no guarantee of a long-term payoff. They’ve set up this AI auto-play mode so ridiculously that it forces a draw or a win for someone who wouldn't stand a chance without that mechanic; it’s starting to feel disgusting to me. The feature should only help by pulling the defense back when under attack—that’s it. It shouldn't slow down attackers, speed up defenders, or artificially slow down attackers just so defenders can catch them. After a match, I literally feel like it’s all a simulation—like I’m trying to beat a "Legendary" mode where the game can decide at any moment, "No, no, you aren't winning this time." If this doesn't change within a month, I think I’m going to delete the game.

Yeah, it’s pretty aggravating how variable the H2H experience is, even when ping isn’t an issue. I just finished a match where my ping was 22ms (which usually results in a decent match for me), but my players were sluggish and slow to react throughout. For example, when I would toggle to a new defender I would invariably find I had to arm wrestle the autoplay for a full second before the player responded to my inputs. I can’t understand why this would happen when ping is good, but it ruins the match. Similarly, in possession it felt like my opponent had ESP, with his players reacting to my passes faster than my own and repeatedly cutting them out. It had the effect of making me feel like I was playing against not just another human, but against an algorithm. Like the previous commenter, I am NOT alleging scripting. I am simply observing that autoplay seems to be interfering with gameplay that feels like an accurate representation of my inputs.

As for other gameplay vs the AI, it’s been obvious for a while that EA regularly nerfs the user’s players in order to simulate greater difficulty (e.g., against 4-star and 5-star opponents). As I’ve posted before, I think this is lazy coding. We’ve all labored (or paid) to assemble our squads and we should get to enjoy them at full force. If EA wants to create difficulty then make opponents quicker and more intelligent, but don’t nerf our players or delay our inputs (which is another strategy that seems to be used in these scenarios).

So, yeah, don’t throw out autoplay, but please address the issues highlighted in this thread. The balance is definitely not where it needs to be.