A heavily rotated Manchester City side suffered a surprising 2-0 home defeat to Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League, ending a long-standing unbeaten run in the group stage at the Etihad Stadium.
Manager Pep Guardiola made ten changes to the lineup that lost at Newcastle just days prior, a decision he later admitted was a miscalculation. The altered squad delivered a disjointed and hesitant performance, a stark contrast to the team’s usual dominance.
The home side lacked sharpness, and Leverkusen capitalized. The German club took the lead before halftime when Alejandro Grimaldo fired home from inside the area. City’s hopes of a second-half comeback were dashed shortly after the restart as Patrik Schick powered in a header, exposing more uncertain defending.
Guardiola introduced key attackers in an attempt to salvage the match, but despite late pressure, the team could not find a way past a resolute Leverkusen defense. The result leaves City’s position in the group stage with work still to be done in the final three matches.
