Manchester — In a result that stunned fans and pundits alike, Manchester City were beaten 2–0 by Bayer Leverkusen at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday night, a defeat that snapped the club’s 23-game unbeaten home streak in European competition.
The German visitors took full advantage of a heavily rotated City line-up, with goals from Alejandro Grimaldo in the 23rd minute and Patrik Schick early in the second half sealing a deserved victory.
Manager Pep Guardiola had made ten changes to the starting XI after Saturday’s disappointing loss at Newcastle — a gamble that backfired spectacularly.
City pressed for a response after the break, bringing on first-team regulars including Erling Haaland, but could not penetrate a resolute Leverkusen defence. Goalkeeper Mark Flekken produced several key saves to preserve the clean sheet and frustrate the home crowd.
The defeat leaves Manchester City in a precarious position in their Champions League group, with qualification to the knockout phase no longer assured. The loss also compounds what has become a difficult week for the club — following a 2–1 domestic defeat to Newcastle United last weekend.
