Leverkusen inflict second straight defeat on City as Guardiola rotation backfires | OneFootball

Manchester City suffered their first home defeat in a Champions League group/league-phase match since 2018 as Bayer Leverkusen punished a heavily rotated side at the Etihad Stadium.

Pep Guardiola made 10 changes after the weekend loss at Newcastle United and the decision set the tone for a disjointed performance that Leverkusen exploited with precision.

City had dominated this stage for years, but the fluency and control associated with them disappeared as Kasper Hjulmand’s team pressed, countered and capitalised on the spaces repeatedly offered to them.

The early signs were mixed for City because Nathan Ake forced Mark Flekken into a sharp save from close range, but the hosts never established sustained rhythm and looked vulnerable every time Leverkusen broke forward.

The visitors struck first when Ibrahim Maza was given too much room on the right and his cross caused panic in the City defence, allowing Christian Kofane to cushion the ball into Alejandro Grimaldo’s path for a crisp finish into the bottom corner.

City’s rotated midfield lacked balance and Leverkusen consistently found lanes to attack through the centre and down the flanks, forcing Guardiola’s team into recovery runs they failed to manage.

Tijjani Reijnders offered a moment of promise when he slipped through midfield, but his low strike went straight at Flekken and summed up City’s lack of conviction in the final third.

Leverkusen doubled their lead early in the second half when Maza again delivered a measured cross from the right and Patrik Schick rose above Ake to steer a header beyond James Trafford.

That goal prompted Guardiola to call for Erling Haaland, Phil Foden and Rayan Cherki, but even their introduction could not mask the structural issues that had undermined City from the opening minutes.

Haaland threatened immediately with a header and later forced Flekken to smother at his feet, yet the chances were sporadic and City never built the momentum required to break Leverkusen’s defensive organisation.

Savinho missed a clear opportunity and Foden saw a deflected effort turned behind as City pushed late on, but their urgency arrived too late to repair the earlier damage.

Leverkusen’s compact shape, efficient counters and measured finishing ensured that the final stages passed without genuine panic and their travelling supporters celebrated a famous win.

City, meanwhile, slipped to a second consecutive defeat and lost valuable ground in the league-phase standings, with the performance raising familiar concerns about their defence and the depth beyond Guardiola’s core starters.