I know this is a stupid American take... but every time I watch soccer, I cannot figure out the limited substitutions rule. Look how tired these players are. Just let them substitute. Think of how slow basketball would be if the same players had to play 48 minutes straight.
They gave the hardest possible opening fixtures last season and still, Arsenal were champions.
Just give the home fixture to start with, champions don't care about the rest.
🚨🎙️| Pep Guardiola: “What is Barça missing to win the Champions League? The Champions League is a competition that DESTROYS projects, and I hope that’s not the case at Barça. We must not think that just because you don’t win it, everything that has been built is no good. The league is the competition that gives you consistency and continuity. In the Champions League, you need to reach the decisive stages in good condition, without injuries, and refereeing also has a huge impact.
What matters is that the daily work is excellent, that the team keeps growing and improving, and that they don’t believe the season is a failure just because they don’t reach the Champions League final or win it. The league is what sets the foundation for judging whether a season has been good or not.” [@mundodeportivo@forcabarca_ar] #fcblive