Tijjani Reijnders calls for calm as Manchester City lose back-to-back matches | OneFootball

Manchester City midfielder Tijjani Reijnders has called for calm from Pep Guardiola’s squad off the back of their back-to-back defeats across competitions.

City entered Tuesday night’s Champions League fixture already under pressure following their disappointing Premier League loss to Newcastle days earlier. Guardiola responded with 10 changes to his starting XI, but the move backfired against a sharp Bayer Leverkusen side.

While the hosts threatened through Nathan Ake’s early half-chance, the rhythm evaporated as City struggled to build meaningful threat. Leverkusen took full advantage with their compact defensive shape and counter-attacking threat, punishing City’s sluggishness in possession.

Alejandro Grimaldo’s first-half strike stunned the Etihad Stadium, and the visitors doubled their lead shortly after the restart when Patrik Schick guided a precise header past City’s rearranged back line.

Even with introductions for Erling Haaland, Phil Foden, and Rayan Cherki, the momentum never truly shifted in Pep Guardiola’s favour. Focus now turns to a home clash with Leeds, in an opportunity the squad will hope becomes a reset after a disjointed pair of performances. Several fringe players struggled to seize their opportunity against Leverkusen, raising questions around Guardiola’s rotational options as the packed winter schedule approaches.

Speaking to reporters after Manchester City’s 0-2 home defeat to Bayer Leverkusen, Tijjani Reijnders has called upon his teammates to get straight back to winning ways starting with the weekend’s Premier League clash against Leeds.

“Of course it’s a bummer,” Reijnders said of Tuesday night’s European defeat to the German giants.

He continued, “We should not lose our confidence because we did great before and we have to get back on that winning streak and that’s by being ready for the next game on Saturday.

“We should not panic now. Of course losing two times in a row is not a good thing but we know there are still plenty of chances this season and we have to go game to game.”

Looking forward, Reijnders’ message is likely to be echoed inside the dressing room as City attempt to stabilise results. With three fixtures left to secure a top-eight position in the Champions League, the margin for error has narrowed significantly, especially with other results threatening to push City into the play-off spots.

Guardiola will respond with a return to a more familiar line-up against Leeds, particularly with Haaland, Foden, and Cherki offering far greater attacking fluency after their introductions on Tuesday night.

Supporters will expect a strong reaction, especially at a stage of the season the manager has often described as the true beginning of Manchester City’s rhythm. If City can rediscover tempo quickly, a challenging week could ultimately be reduced to a minor early-winter wobble.