Manchester City Fall 2-0 to Bayer Leverkusen

Manchester City Fall 2-0 to Bayer Leverkusen in Champions League – A Tough Night for Guardiola's Side

November started on a high note for Manchester City as they secured three consecutive victories, defeating Bournemouth, Borussia Dortmund, and Liverpool. However, after the international break, their form has taken a sharp downturn. In their last Premier League outing, City suffered a loss to Newcastle, slipping to 3rd place in the league and falling 7 points behind leaders Arsenal.

In the early hours of November 26th, the highly anticipated UEFA Champions League clash between Manchester City and Bayer Leverkusen took place. Despite the home advantage, City was unable to recover from their recent slump, as goals from Grimaldo and Schick gave Leverkusen a 2-0 victory, marking back-to-back defeats for the Blues on both domestic and European fronts.

Leverkusen's Rise and City's Rotation

Leverkusen, after a brief period of underperformance at the start of the season, have surged back into form and currently sit in the top three of the Bundesliga. Given the intense fixture schedule ahead and the demands of midweek European matches, Pep Guardiola opted for a major rotation, leaving key players such as Erling Haaland, Gianluigi Donnarumma, and Phil Foden on the bench.

City's starting lineup saw a mix of first-team regulars and substitutes: Bob, Savio, and Malmush led the attack, while Nico González, Rico Lewis, and Reindes formed the midfield. The defense consisted of Houssanov, Stones, Ake, and Nuri, with Trafford in goal.

Leverkusen Strike Early

The match began with Manchester City failing to quickly find their rhythm. In the 6th minute, a corner kick from Malmush caused chaos in the box, but Ake’s close-range shot was bravely saved by Leverkusen goalkeeper, Florian Fräken. City’s defensive lapses continued to be evident in the 12th minute, when Maza’s left-wing run and cross found Poku at the back post, but Nuri made a crucial block to deny the shot.

The breakthrough came in the 23rd minute. After a quick transitional pass from Tilman, Maza advanced down the right wing and delivered a pinpoint cross. City’s patched-together defense failed to communicate effectively, allowing Kofane to lay the ball off to Grimaldo, who was left unmarked and coolly slotted home the opener. 0-1 to Leverkusen! In the first half, City, fielding mostly substitutes, were clearly outclassed by Leverkusen, managing just two shots on target while being dominated in all areas of the pitch.

A Second Half to Forget

In the second half, Guardiola made immediate changes, bringing on Foden, Doku, and O’Reilly to inject some fresh energy into the attack. However, Leverkusen doubled their lead just nine minutes into the second half. In the 54th minute, Grimaldo again found space on the left wing and delivered a perfect cross into the box. Schick, rising above Ake, powered a header into the far corner, leaving Trafford with no chance. 0-2 to Leverkusen!

Manchester City continued to press, but their efforts were in vain. In the 69th minute, Foden played a brilliant through ball to Haaland, who found himself one-on-one with Fräken. However, the Norwegian striker's low shot was expertly saved by the keeper. Just minutes later, Haaland had another chance inside the box but fired his shot well over the bar after a powerful strike.

Leverkusen Hold Firm

In the 84th minute, City had one last opportunity to pull a goal back. Sergi Serki stepped up to take a free kick from just outside the box. His well-executed shot curled around the wall and headed for the top corner, but Fräken was once again equal to the task, diving to make a fantastic save and maintain Leverkusen’s two-goal lead.

With the match in hand, Leverkusen sat back and soaked up the pressure, managing the game efficiently and seeing out the remaining minutes. The final whistle blew, and Manchester City’s disappointing 0-2 defeat was confirmed, marking their second consecutive loss in both the Premier League and the Champions League.

Final Thoughts

It’s been a tough few days for Manchester City, as they now face a mounting challenge to regain their form. Guardiola’s decision to rotate his squad clearly had its consequences, with the team lacking cohesion and defensive stability. As for Leverkusen, this victory is another sign of their impressive resurgence, and they continue to prove that they are a serious contender this season.

For Manchester City, they’ll need to regroup quickly as they face more crucial fixtures ahead, and Guardiola will be hoping his star players return to full fitness and form soon.