Manchester City suffered a shock 2-0 defeat to Bayer
Leverkusen in the Champions League on Tuesday, as Pep Guardiola’s heavy
rotation proved costly in a flat performance at the Etihad Stadium.
Guardiola left out several key stars — Erling
Haaland, Ruben Dias, Bernardo Silva, and Gianluigi Donnarumma — opting to
rest his core players ahead of a congested December schedule. But the decision
backfired as City’s second-string side failed to impress.
Leverkusen Punish Sloppy City
Spanish full-back Alex Grimaldo opened the
scoring in the first half, firing a low drive past James Trafford after City’s
defence collapsed under minimal pressure.
In the second half, Patrik Schick doubled the
lead in the 54th minute, beating Nathan Ake to glance home a header from
Ibrahim Maza’s inswinging cross.
Boos and frustration echoed around the Etihad at full
time as City fans watched their team lose a Champions League home group-stage
match for the first time since 2018 — ending a 24-game unbeaten run.
City’s Struggles Continue
The defeat comes just days after a 2–1 loss to
Newcastle in the Premier League. City now have four Premier League
losses this season and sit seven points behind Arsenal, increasing
pressure on the squad as fixtures pile up.
Though the result does not jeopardise their Champions
League qualification hopes, the performance highlighted worrying weaknesses in
Guardiola’s squad depth.
The match marked Guardiola’s 100th Champions League
game as City manager, but rather than a celebration, the night was
overshadowed by disjointed play and missed chances.
A Disjointed Performance
City controlled possession but lacked cutting edge.
Early on, Nathan Ake forced a sharp save from Leverkusen’s Mark Flekken, but
defensive errors and slow reactions — particularly from Abdukodir Khusanov
before Grimaldo’s goal — set the tone.
Omar Marmoush struggled to replicate Haaland’s
presence, while Tijjani Reijnders missed a golden opportunity to equalise
before halftime.
Guardiola made a triple substitution at the break,
introducing Jeremy Doku, Phil Foden, and Nico O’Reilly, but City’s
defensive frailties persisted, leading to Schick’s decisive header.
Haaland later came on but continued his poor run of
form, failing to convert a clear chance to pull one back.
Looking Ahead
With a gruelling schedule ahead — including a visit to
Real Madrid in their next Champions League tie — Guardiola will likely
reconsider how heavily he rotates his squad.
Despite his recent admission of feeling “embarrassed
and ashamed” over a confrontation with a cameraman at Newcastle, Guardiola may
now have even more reason for concern after City’s second straight defeat.
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