Manchester City's Champions League campaign suffered a setback as they fell 2-0 to Bayer Leverkusen at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday, November 25, 2025. In Pep Guardiola's 100th match in charge of City in the competition, the team delivered a lackluster performance, marking their first defeat in this season's Champions League.
Leverkusen's victory was secured through goals from Alejandro Grimaldo in the first half and Patrik Schick in the second. The result not only ended City's impressive 23-game unbeaten home run in the UEFA Champions League league phase but also marked Leverkusen's first win against English opposition in their last nine attempts.
Guardiola's decision to heavily rotate the squad, making 10 changes from the previous match against Newcastle, appeared to backfire. Only Nico Gonzalez retained his place in the starting lineup. Despite the changes, City began the match with intensity, as Nathan Ake and Tijjani Reijnders tested Leverkusen's goalkeeper, Mark Flekken early on.
Leverkusen, however, quickly found their rhythm and took the lead in the 23rd minute. A well-executed move saw Christian Kofane laying the ball off to Alejandro Grimaldo, who struck a precise shot into the bottom-right corner of the net. City responded with attempts to level the score, with Reijnders and Oscar Bobb being denied by Flekken before halftime.
At the start of the second half, Guardiola introduced Phil Foden, Jeremy Doku, and Nico O'Reilly, aiming to inject fresh energy into the team. However, Leverkusen doubled their advantage in the 54th minute when Patrik Schick headed home from an Ibrahim Maza cross.
Erling Haaland was brought on as a substitute, but even his presence couldn't unlock Leverkusen's solid defense. Flekken, Leverkusen's goalkeeper, proved to be a formidable barrier, denying City's attempts to score, including a late free-kick from Rayan Cherki.
The defeat leaves Manchester City in a slightly precarious position in their Champions League group. The loss also highlighted Leverkusen's resilience and tactical execution, especially after their 7-2 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain earlier in the competition. Leverkusen's coach, Kasper Hjulmand, praised his team's bravery, structure, and maturity in securing the victory.
The match was also a historic one for Alejandro Grimaldo, who scored his eighth goal of the season in all competitions, making him Leverkusen's top scorer for 2025-26.
In summary, Bayer Leverkusen's 2-0 victory over Manchester City was a result of clinical finishing, defensive resilience, and a tactical masterclass, which ended City's unbeaten home run in the Champions League group stage and handed Pep Guardiola an evening to forget on his 100th match in charge.
