Match Report & Player Ratings: Manchester City 0-2 Bayer Leverkusen (UEFA Champions League) | OneFootball

Manchester City suffered their first UEFA Champions League defeat of the season on Tuesday night after a woeful performance against German side Bayer Leverkusen.

Pep Guardiola made 10 changes to his team-sheet from Saturday’s trip to Newcastle United, but it resulted in a disjointed and fractious showing from his side, and they fell behind in the first-half to a quality goal from Alex Grimaldo.

Guardiola used all five of his substitutes within just over an hour – bringing on the riches of Nico O’Reilly, Phil Foden, Jeremy Doku, Rayan Cherki and Erling Haaland – but it was the Bundesliga team that struck again through Patrik Schick, and a hapless City never looked like doing anything other than losing.

City’s profligacy from set-pieces this season has been well documented, but their goal against Newcastle at the weekend came from a recycled corner and they almost took the lead from a similar situation inside five minutes against Leverkusen – the ball falling for Nathan Ake to draw a quick save from Mark Flekken.

There was rarely pressure put on the Leverkusen goal for the following 15 minutes though, and with their first proper opening, the visitors scored. Christian Kofane’s ball into the box evaded both Schick and Abdukodir Khusanov, but landed perfectly for Grimaldo to strike, and the Spaniard’s effort whistled beyond James Trafford into the bottom corner.

The first-half performance was as flat as we’ve seen at the Etihad Stadium since the Tottenham defeat in August – a deep delivery from Nico that narrowly evaded the outstretched Omar Marmoush wasn’t particularly close, but was still one of the best openings the Blues mustered in the opening period. The Egyptian turned and signalled he wanted to hear more from the supporters in the South Stand.

Pressure was at least a little increased on the Leverkusen goal just before the break, with Oscar Bobb forcing Flekken to throw out a leg to clear his cross, before Tijjani Reijnders missed the biggest opportunity of the half as he carried it all the way to the penalty spot but couldn’t put his strike either side of the Dutch keeper.

Three changes at half-time showed exactly what Pep Guardiola thought of City’s first-half, but within 10 minutes of the restart, they fell 0-2 behind. Ibrahim Maza had all the time in the world to whip in a deep cross, and Schick ran from Nathan Ake’s blindside to glance his header beyond Trafford and send the nearby away end wild.

City were shellshocked but redoubled their efforts; Savinho narrowly volleying wide from a cracking long pass from John Stones, and Erling Haaland heading off target with his first involvement off the bench.

Haaland became an immediate target for the Blues’ attack, and should have brought the deficit to one with quick-fire chances. Flekken denied the Norwegian as he tried to round the goalkeeper, then he brought down a Nico O’Reilly delivery but blazed high.

Late chances came and went; a Rayan Cherki free-kick beaten away by Flekken, another Cherki effort saved at the near post, but Leverkusen were good value for their win and it’s back-to-back defeats for the Blues in all competitions.

Manchester City remain well-placed for automatic qualification for the knockout stages of this season’s UEFA Champions League, but this result does them no favours and piles more pressure onto what was already a key showdown next up away to Real Madrid.

Here’s how we rated Manchester City’s players from their damaging defeat to Bayer Leverkusen!

Player Ratings

Starting XI

James Trafford – 5.5

Can’t particularly be blamed for either goal, and wasn’t forced into many saves otherwise. Nearly handed Bayer Leverkusen a third when he rushed out to a situation which John Stones had under control.

Abdukodir Khusanov – 4

Perhaps could have reached the cross which led to Bayer Leverkusen’s opener. Tried to advance the ball where he could but movement ahead of him wasn’t good enough.

John Stones – 4.5

Not quite his usual confident self in possession, and could do nothing to prevent Bayer Leverkusen causing problems running at goal with ease.

Nathan Ake – 3

Showed as an option on the left but could rarely get Manchester City moving. Patrik Schick escaped him to nod home the second.

Rayan Ait-Nouri – 4

Produced a massive block to deny Bayer Leverkusen an early lead through Ernest Poku, but it was perhaps more his inability to get anything going in the attacking third which saw him hooked at the break.

Nico – 6 (MOTM)

The only proper presence capable of winning the ball in Manchester City’s midfield. Not exempt from blame but the only starter to retain his place from Saturday did look one of the few with any real rhythm.

Rico Lewis – 4

Bustled around the midfield zone but rarely managed to support the forwards or get himself properly involved in the action in his 45 minutes on the pitch.

Tijjani Reijnders – 3.5

Saw a fair amount of the ball in that left attacking half-space but really didn’t do enough with it. Spurned perhaps the biggest opening with his first-half shot at Mark Flekken.

Oscar Bobb – 3.5

Could only produce more of what’s been frustrating Manchester City fans about his performances lately. Hardly ever caused his full-back a problem, and when he did there was no delivery at the end of it. The third player sacrificed at half-time.

Omar Marmoush – 3.5

Will feel hard done by at his recent gametime, but didn’t do enough here to prove he should get more. Wasn’t terrible in his moments with the ball, he just hardly ever got it.

Savinho – 2.5

An empty shirt at the minute. Didn’t ever seem like troubling the Leverkusen backline and got nowhere near closing down Ibrahim Maza’s delivery for the second. Beggars belief that he completed the match.

Substitutes

Nico O’Reilly – 5.5

Had a lot of possession around the penalty area but never really saw an opening.

Phil Foden – 6

Unlucky not to create anything, but did sometimes wander down cul-de-sacs.

Jeremy Doku – 5

Rare to see him so easily bested as he was by Ernest Poku.

Rayan Cherki – 5

Needed to make better decisions in key moments.

Erling Haaland – 5

Missed some fairly presentable opportunities.