Guardiola’s Line-Up Gamble Fails on Milestone Night, Leaving City’s Unbeaten Record in Tatters
What was meant to be a celebration of Pep Guardiola’s 100th Champions League game in charge of Manchester City turned into a frustrating night for the home fans, as a disciplined Bayer Leverkusen secured a stunning 2-0 victory at the Etihad Stadium.
The surprise result was set in motion by Guardiola’s massive team selection gamble, which saw him make ten changes from the side that lost to Newcastle just days earlier. While City started brightly, with Nathan Ake forcing a good early save, they never truly found their rhythm.
Instead, it was the German visitors who grew into the game and struck first. Midway through the first half, Leverkusen sliced through City’s defense with a smooth, end-to-end move, finished off by Alejandro Grimaldo, who drilled a low shot past goalkeeper James Trafford.
Facing a deficit for the first time in this season’s competition, Guardiola responded at halftime by bringing on big names like Phil Foden and Jeremy Doku. However, the planned fightback was derailed just ten minutes after the break. Leverkusen’s Patrik Schick rose to meet a cross, guiding a clever header past Trafford to double the lead and stun the home crowd.
A final roll of the dice saw Erling Haaland enter the fray, and the Norwegian star almost made an instant impact, only to be denied by a superb save from Leverkusen’s keeper, Mark Flekken, who was in inspired form all evening.
The final whistle confirmed a famous win for Leverkusen, only their second ever Champions League away win against English opposition. For City, the defeat not only tarnishes Guardiola’s milestone but also ends their unbeaten run in this season’s competition, raising questions after a second consecutive loss.
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