Manager admits he made too many changes to give opportunities to fringe players
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola believes he may have pushed his rotation policy too far after his heavily changed side fell 2-0 to Bayer Leverkusen at the Etihad.
Guardiola made 10 changes from the team that lost at Newcastle over the weekend, and City never recovered from Alejandro Grimaldo and Patrik Schick’s goals. It was City’s first home defeat in this stage of the competition since 2018.
“Too many changes,” said Guardiola. “Maybe it was too much, seeing the result. I take responsibility but I saw them and I like everyone to be involved, when you are a football player and don’t play for five, six, seven games it’s tough but maybe it was too much.”
He suggested his insistence on giving opportunities to fringe players had worked against him.
“Always I like to be too nice and involve everyone,” said Guardiola. “It didn’t work and we have to accept it. It was the first time in my life I’ve done it and it was too much.”
City struggled to create clear chances and lacked balance throughout the night. In the second half, Guardiola introduced Erling Haaland, Phil Foden and Jeremy Doku but it didn’t help. Leverkusen, who suffered a heavy 7-2 loss to Paris Saint-Germain last month, punished City with sharp counterattacks and then disciplined and compact defending.
The loss puts more pressure on City ahead of a difficult trip to Real Madrid next month. They have only three league-phase fixtures left to secure a top-eight finish. A failure to do so would leave them facing a repeat of last season when an underwhelming campaign forced them into a playoff tie with Madrid.
“We still have three games and we will see what happens,” Guardiola said. “I don’t anticipate what is going to happen in the future. Now it’s don’t talk much, clean our heads and go to Leeds.”
