Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola accepted responsibility after his team suffered a surprising 2-0 defeat to Bayer Leverkusen in the UEFA Champions League. Guardiola’s decision to make 10 changes from the weekend’s Premier League loss to Newcastle United, including resting key striker Erling Haaland , who leads the league with 14 goals this season, backfired.
“At the post-match press conference, Guardiola said, “There were too many changes … maybe it was too much seeing the result. It’s the first time in my life I’ve done it, and it was too much.” He explained the heavy rotation was influenced by a congested schedule and player fatigue after the international break, noting no player can sustain playing full matches every three days.
The defeat ended City’s impressive 23-game unbeaten home streak in Champions League group or league stages. The club currently sits sixth on 10 points after five matches, with the top eight qualifying for the knockout stage.
Looking ahead, Guardiola remains optimistic, stating, “We have time to prepare for Madrid,” referring to their next big fixture against Real Madrid on December 10.
Leave a comment