Pep Guardiola’s 100th UCL Match Ends In Shock Defeat As Leverkusen Stun Man City
2 min read
By Sportsgister
Pep Guardiola’s milestone 100th Champions League match as Manchester City manager ended in disappointment, as a heavily rotated City side suffered a surprising home defeat to a sharp and disciplined Bayer Leverkusen.
Guardiola made 10 changes to the team that lost to Newcastle in the Premier League at the weekend, but the sweeping rotation proved costly as City produced a sluggish performance and slipped to back-to-back defeats.
City started brightly, with Nathan Aké forcing goalkeeper Mark Flekken into a sharp reflex save early on. However, the momentum quickly faded. The hosts became slow, predictable, and disjointed, allowing Leverkusen to grow into the game and threaten repeatedly on the counter.
Leverkusen’s early promise paid off when Christian Kofane broke forward and clipped a clever pass back into the box for captain Alejandro Grimaldo, who buried a precise first-time finish to put the visitors ahead.
City’s second-string lineup struggled to find rhythm or creativity, with chances coming few and far between. Tijjani Reijnders produced one of the better moments with a driving run through midfield, but his final effort was straight at Flekken, who remained largely untroubled.
Leverkusen doubled their advantage nine minutes into the second half. Patrik Schick rose above the defence to guide home a well-delivered cross from Ibrahim Maza, sending the travelling supporters into raptures and putting the German side firmly in control.
Guardiola turned to his star striker Erling Haaland on the hour mark in hopes of sparking a comeback. The Norwegian came close shortly after, racing onto a pass from Phil Foden only to be denied at the last moment by Flekken’s quick intervention. Haaland later hooked another effort over the bar as City grew increasingly frustrated.
In the end, Leverkusen’s organisation, intensity, and counter-attacking precision were too much for an out-of-sorts Manchester City side. The German champions celebrated a memorable European victory, while Guardiola’s milestone night ended in disappointment.
Sedara Philip is a Sports writer, an administrator,Journalist,and editor
