Pep Guardiola accuses his players of not trying in defeat to Bayer Leverkusen | OneFootball

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola delivered a stark assessment of his side’s performance after their 2-0 Champions League defeat by Bayer Leverkusen, admitting several of his players “didn’t try” during a disjointed night at the Etihad Stadium.

Guardiola made 10 changes for Tuesday’s match, but the reshuffled side failed to impress, conceding twice and rarely troubling the Bundesliga leaders. The City boss criticised his fringe players for approaching the fixture with excessive caution, insisting too many were focused on avoiding mistakes rather than imposing themselves on the game.

“They played to not make mistakes, not to make something happen,” Guardiola said, as transcribed by Sky Sports. “In football, you have to try. If you lose the ball, you lose it, at least you tried. But we didn’t.”

The defeat followed a loss to Newcastle in the Premier League, leaving City facing questions over form as the winter schedule intensifies. Guardiola acknowledged his rotation had backfired but maintained he still holds “huge value” in the players who stepped in.

“It was a good lesson for me,” he added. “Even with my experience, it teaches you something for the future.”

City will also again be without midfielder Rodri for Saturday’s home match against Leeds, with the Spaniard still sidelined through injury. The champions return to domestic duty knowing victory is essential to steady momentum after a stuttering week on both fronts.

GFN | Finn Entwistle