Guardiola Criticizes ‘Safe’ Approach in Man City’s Champions League Defeat
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola expressed disappointment over his team’s cautious performance following their unexpected 2-0 loss to Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League.
The Spanish tactician’s decision to make ten changes to his starting lineup backfired at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday, marking City’s first home defeat in the Champions League group stage since 2018. The loss came just days after their Premier League setback against Newcastle.
“We didn’t try. In football when you play on the green you have to try things and we didn’t try,” Guardiola stated bluntly. He criticized his players for adopting an overly conservative approach, saying they “played not to make mistakes, not to play to do something.”
The match saw Leverkusen capitalize on City’s defensive uncertainties, with Alex Grimaldo opening the scoring in the first half before Patrik Schick sealed the victory after the break. Despite maintaining possession advantage, City struggled to create meaningful opportunities, managing only a few half-chances, including an early attempt by Nathan Ake that was saved by Leverkusen’s Mark Flekken.
Guardiola shouldered responsibility for the defeat, acknowledging that his extensive rotation policy might have been excessive given the December fixture schedule. Key players including Erling Haaland, Ruben Dias, Bernardo Silva, and Gianluigi Donnarumma were initially left out of the starting lineup.
“I take full responsibility,” Guardiola admitted. “Still I think the players that started were exceptional players but we missed something needed at the highest level.”
Looking ahead to Saturday’s Premier League clash against Leeds, City will continue to be without midfielder Rodri, though Guardiola indicated his return is imminent. The defending champions currently sit third in the Premier League, trailing Arsenal by seven points.
Despite the setback, Guardiola expressed unwavering faith in his squad: “I have a lot of confidence in them, still right now I have a lot. I have a huge value in what they are as football players, and that maybe is higher than (they have) themselves.”
The defeat adds pressure on the Manchester club as they look to secure Champions League knockout stage qualification while maintaining their pursuit of Arsenal in the Premier League title race.
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