Pep Guardiola has shouldered the blame for a damaging Champions League defeat after his tactical gamble backfired at the Etihad Stadium. The Manchester City manager made ten changes to his starting lineup for the crucial European clash against Bayer Leverkusen, a decision that proved costly as his side fell to a 2-0 defeat.
A Night of Regret at the Etihad
The Catalan coach marked his 100th European match in charge of City with wholesale changes that saw star striker Erling Haaland begin the game on the bench. The strategy unravelled as Alejandro Grimaldo and Patrik Schick scored for the German visitors, securing a victory that leaves City in a precarious position in their group.
This result compounds a difficult period for the Premier League champions, coming just days after their defeat to Newcastle United. Facing a two-goal deficit at halftime, Guardiola was forced into drastic action, making three substitutions during the break by introducing Jeremy Doku, Phil Foden and Nico O'Reilly.
Guardiola's Frank Admission
Speaking to TNT Sports after the match, Guardiola offered a brutally honest assessment of his role in the defeat. "I take full responsibility," the manager stated. "Still I think the players that started were exceptional players but we missed something needed at the highest level. We now have to fight for the next games."
He expanded on his thinking behind the numerous changes, acknowledging the tight schedule but conceding he may have gone too far. "I have to accept it. If we win it wouldn't be a problem so I have to accept it that maybe it's a lot but I think playing every two or three days we need to [make changes] but seeing the result, maybe it's too much."
The Spaniard later added: "I always had the belief of the long season and everyone had to be involved but maybe it was too much. They played not to make mistakes instead of doing what we had to do. It was not the performance that we thought."
Consequences and Context
The defeat sees Manchester City drop to sixth place in their Champions League group, placing their progression in the competition under serious threat. The situation could worsen following Wednesday's other group fixtures.
Leverkusen manager Kasper Hjulmand expressed some sympathy for Guardiola's dilemma, noting: "It is a very tight programme for all teams. The normal rotation for a Champions League team is five point five players, but no matter who they put on the pitch, it is a quality team."
This Champions League setback came during a period of public contrition for Guardiola, who had already apologised the previous day for his conduct during the Newcastle defeat, where he confronted opposition players and removed a cameraman's earphone.
The manager had addressed those incidents on Monday, saying: "I apologised. I feel embarrassed, ashamed when I see it. I don't like it. I apologised after one second to the cameraman. I am who I am. After 1,000 games, I'm not a perfect person, I make huge mistakes."
