Manchester City suffered their first home defeat in a Champions League group stage match since 2018 as Bayer Leverkusen punished a heavily rotated side at the Etihad Stadium tonight.
Pep Guardiola made 10 changes after the weekend loss at Newcastle United, and the decision set the tone for a disjointed performance that Leverkusen exploited.
The fluency and control associated with Man City disappeared as Kasper Hjulmand’s team capitalised on the spaces repeatedly offered to them.
The early signs were mixed for City because Nathan Ake forced Mark Flekken into a sharp save from close range, but the hosts never established a sustained rhythm.
The visitors struck first when Ibrahim Maza was given too much room on the right and his cross caused panic in the City defence.
Christian Kofane cushioned the ball into Alejandro Grimaldo’s path for a crisp finish into the bottom corner.
City’s rotated midfield lacked balance, and Leverkusen consistently found lanes to attack through the centre and down the flanks.
Tijjani Reijnders offered a moment of promise when he slipped through midfield, but his low strike went straight at Flekken and summed up City’s lack of conviction in the final third.
Leverkusen doubled their lead early in the second half when Maza again delivered a measured cross from the right, and Patrik Schick steered a header beyond James Trafford.
That goal prompted Guardiola to call for Erling Braut Haaland, Phil Foden and Rayan Cherki, but their introduction made little difference.
The chances were sporadic, and City never built the momentum required to break Leverkusen’s defensive organisation.
Leverkusen’s compact shape, efficient counters and measured finishing ensured that the final stages passed without genuine panic and their travelling supporters celebrated a famous win.
City lost valuable ground in the league-phase standings, with the performance raising familiar concerns about their defence and the depth beyond Guardiola’s core starters.
