Bayer Leverkusen stunned Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium with a 2-0 Champions League victory that punished Pep Guardiola’s decision to rotate heavily.
The City boss left out stars including Erling Haaland and Gianluigi Donnarumma, but the gamble backfired as Alejandro Grimaldo and Patrik Schick struck to hand the Germans a famous win.
The defeat ended City’s unbeaten run in the group stage and leaves their top-eight prospects under threat ahead of a daunting trip to Real Madrid.
Haaland was introduced in the second half but by then the damage was done, with Leverkusen—who had been thrashed 7-2 by PSG last month, making light of their own injury crisis.
Nathan Aké had an early chance for City but Mark Flekken, once of Brentford, denied him. Leverkusen soaked up pressure and struck first in the 23rd minute when Ibrahim Maza’s cross was laid off by Christian Kofane for Grimaldo to drive home.
Guardiola responded with a triple substitution at the break, but the tempo barely shifted.
Schick doubled the lead in the 54th minute, glancing in another Maza delivery past James Trafford. Haaland’s introduction gave City more bite, but Flekken rushed out to thwart him and Jarell Quansah marshalled the defence superbly. Haaland shot over late on and Rayan Cherki’s free-kick was saved, but City never looked like salvaging the night.
It was a sobering evening for Guardiola, whose second string failed to deliver.
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