In a stunning Champions League upset, Manchester City suffered a 2-0 defeat at home to Bayer Leverkusen, a result that manager Pep Guardiola squarely attributed to his decision to make a massive ten changes to his starting lineup.
Guardiola's Gamble Backfires Spectacularly
The match, played on Tuesday, November 25, 2025, at the Etihad Stadium, saw a heavily rotated City side look disjointed and ineffective. Guardiola's bold strategy, coming off a Premier League loss to Newcastle, involved leaving out key stars, including top scorer Erling Haaland. This marked the first time this season the Norwegian phenomenon was not in the starting eleven for a Premier League or Champions League match.
Alejandro Grimaldo fired Leverkusen into the lead after just 23 minutes, exposing the lack of cohesion in City's revamped squad. Recognizing his error, Guardiola made three substitutions at halftime, but the damage was already done.
Too Little, Too Late for City
Any hope of a comeback was dashed when Patrik Schick headed in a second goal for the German side in the 54th minute. It was only after this second blow that Guardiola finally introduced Erling Haaland, but even the prolific striker could not turn the tide for the faltering English champions.
Following the final whistle, a remorseful Guardiola faced the media. "I take absolutely full responsibility," he stated. "It was too much. (It was) the first time in my life I’ve done it and it was too much." He defended the need for rotation in a packed schedule but conceded that seeing the result, the scale of his changes was a miscalculation.
Consequences and Looking Ahead
The loss marks consecutive defeats for City and their fifth loss in all competitions this season. The result raises serious questions about their form and adds immense pressure to their next Champions League fixture, a crucial away game against Real Madrid on December 10.
Leverkusen coach Kasper Hjulmand praised his team's performance, noting, "No matter who they put on the pitch it’s a quality team... I think we did well." For Manchester City, the defeat is a worrying echo of last season's struggles around the same period, which ultimately cost them the Premier League title.
