Guardiola Reflects on Tactical Decisions After Surprise Defeat to Bayer Leverkusen

Pep Guardiola reflected on his recent tactical decisions, admitting he had been “too nice” to his fringe players following Manchester City’s unexpected 2-0 defeat to Bayer Leverkusen. The loss marked City’s first home defeat in the Champions League group stage or league phase since 2018, with goals scored by Alejandro Grimaldo and Patrik Schick.

After the match, Guardiola conceded that the number of changes made to the starting lineup—10 in total—was excessive. He hinted that perhaps a more ruthless approach in managing his squad depth would have been beneficial, stating, “Too many changes. 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.”

Guardiola emphasized his inclination to involve all players, saying, “Always I like to be too nice and involve everyone. 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.”

This defeat adds further pressure as City prepares for their upcoming match against Real Madrid next month. Guardiola’s side also faces additional challenges with fixtures against Bodo/Glimt and Galatasaray in January, as they aim to secure a top-eight finish and avoid a repeat of last season’s struggles, where they ended up 22nd and faced Real Madrid in the playoff round.

“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 about not talking much, clearing our heads, and focusing on Leeds.”