Bayer Leverkusen Secures Victory Against Manchester City in Champions League

Following a weekend victory against Wolfsburg, Bayer Leverkusen aimed to gain momentum in their Champions League campaign with a match against Manchester City.

In contrast to their Bundesliga rivals Borussia Dortmund, Leverkusen appeared better equipped to face City, despite fielding a depleted squad.

During the first half, die Werkself relied heavily on goalkeeper Mark Flekken to thwart City’s advances. However, they managed to escape being completely overwhelmed, particularly thriving on their right flank with contributions from Ernest Poku and Ibrahim Maza.

Leverkusen broke the deadlock in the 23rd minute when a counter-attack initiated by Ibrahim Maza resulted in a deflected cross landing at Alejandro Grimaldo’s feet, who promptly scored to make it 1-0.

In the second half, Leverkusen maintained their defensive strength and absorbed pressure from City. A pivotal moment came in the 55th minute when Malik Tillman delivered a long ball to Grimaldo, who set up Maza for a cross that Patrik Schick headed into the net, extending the lead to 2-0.

Leverkusen displayed resilience for the remainder of the match, with Flekken continuing his impressive form from the weekend. Defenders Jarell Quansah and Loïc Bade effectively managed the threat posed by Erling Haaland, while Maza excelled in linking defense and attack from his new midfield position.

This victory served as a strong statement against one of the world’s top teams. Despite previous struggles against elite opponents like PSG and Bayern Munich this season, Leverkusen demonstrated that they had learned from those experiences. The three points were crucial in revitalizing Leverkusen’s Champions League campaign, which had previously shown signs of stagnation.

It is worth noting that while some may argue that City fielded a second-string squad, Leverkusen faced their challenges with only a limited number of senior players available, having only one substitute without resorting to their under-19 squad.

This performance reflects the positive trajectory of the team under the guidance of Kasper Hjulmand following a significant overhaul during the summer. Leverkusen’s next challenge awaits against Borussia Dortmund on Saturday, presenting another opportunity for them to further assert their capabilities against a formidable opponent.

Player Ratings:

Manchester City:
James Trafford (5), Abdukodir Khusanov (5), John Stones (5), Nathan Ake (5), Rayan Ait-Nouri (4), Rico Lewis (5), Nico Gonzalez (5), Oscar Bobb (5), Tijani Reijnders (5), Savinho (6), Omar Marmoush (5)

Others: Phil Foden (5), Jeremy Doku (5), Nico O’Reilly (5), Erling Haaland (5), Rayan Cherki (5)

Bayer Leverkusen:
Mark Flekken (7), Jarell Quansah (7), Loïc Bade (6), Jeanuel Belocian (6), Ernest Poku (6), Ibrahim Maza (7), Aleix Garcia (6), Alejandro Grimaldo (7), Malik Tillman (6), Christian Kofane (6), Patrik Schick (6)

Others: Nathan Tella (-)

This match marked the commencement of Maza’s Champions League journey, where the 20-year-old excelled against a former Champions League winner, dominating the midfield with nine defensive contributions, two created chances, and an 85% pass completion rate, according to FotMob.

This season has seen Maza transition into a central midfield role, and his performance further solidified the potential of this position for his future.

Other Leverkusen players also played vital roles, with Flekken making nine crucial saves, and Quansah and Bade proving indispensable in defense.

Reported by GGFN | Jack Meenan