Manchester City’s recent struggles continued on Tuesday night as Pep Guardiola’s side suffered a surprising 2–0 defeat at home to Bayer Leverkusen in the UEFA Champions League.
The visitors struck first in the 24th minute when Alex Grimaldo fired home to give Leverkusen the lead.
Just ten minutes into the second half, Patrik Schick doubled the advantage in the 54th minute, leaving City reeling and fans questioning Guardiola’s team selection.
The City boss opted to rest most of his first-team stars, fielding a largely unfamiliar squad, a decision that pundits say backfired dramatically.
The untested lineup struggled to match the intensity and organisation of the German side, highlighting concerns about squad depth.
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Despite the loss, Manchester City still retain a chance of progressing to the next stage of the Champions League.
However, the defeat comes on the heels of a Premier League setback, with City having lost 2–1 to Newcastle over the weekend.
The back-to-back defeats have intensified scrutiny on Guardiola, as supporters and analysts debate whether rotation strategies are undermining City’s pursuit of domestic and European glory this season.