Pep Guardiola faced a night of pure humiliation at the Etihad Stadium as his heavily-rotated Manchester City side fell to a shocking 2-0 defeat against Bayer Leverkusen. This marked City's first Champions League group stage loss at home since 2018, a result that lies squarely at the manager's feet after his decision to make ten changes to his starting lineup.
A Costly Rotation Strategy
Guardiola, perhaps still reeling from City's weekend defeat at Newcastle, took what many are calling a bizarre gamble. He opted to rest nearly his entire first team, leaving star players like Erling Haaland, Phil Foden, and Bernardo Silva on the bench. In total, he made ten changes to the side, a move that ultimately produced a second-rate performance against a disciplined German opponent.
The match began with City dominating possession, and they nearly took an early lead when Nathan Ake forced a sharp save from Leverkusen's goalkeeper, Mark Flecken. However, City's dominance on the ball lacked a cutting edge, and they were punished on the break. Alejandro Grimaldo drilled a shot into the bottom corner after a lay-off from Christian Kofane, giving the visitors a lead they would not relinquish.
Desperate Measures Fail to Salvage the Game
As City's frustrations mounted, Guardiola turned to his bench, introducing Foden and Jeremy Doku in the second half. Yet his tactical changes backfired once more. Leverkusen doubled their lead through Patrik Schick, who met a cross from Ibrahim Maze with a superb downward header that beat goalkeeper James Trafford.
In a final, desperate act, Guardiola sent on Erling Haaland. The Norwegian superstar, however, was uncharacteristically wasteful. He failed to beat the impressive Flekken in a one-on-one situation and later smashed a volley over the bar from a promising position. This meant Haaland faced the prospect of going two games without a goal for the first time this season.
Consequences of a Humbling Night
The defeat was a bitter way to mark Guardiola's 100th Champions League game as City manager. The Spaniard stood on the sidelines, hands in pockets, looking increasingly perplexed as his experimental team was outmanoeuvred. The loss also piles more pressure on Guardiola after he recently admitted to behaving 'like an idiot' towards a camera operator.
The result is a significant blow, ending City's impressive record of 13 consecutive home wins against German opposition in the Champions League. For Bayer Leverkusen, who arrived in Manchester third in the Bundesliga, it was a deserved and shock victory that leaves Guardiola with plenty of questions to answer about his team selection.
