Manchester City lost ground on their rivals in the Champions League after they lost 2-0 to Bayer Leverkusen in Pep Guardiola's 100th match in charge of them in the competition.
2025/2026 UEFA Champions League
0-2
Match Report
Alejandro Grimaldo and Patrik Schick got on the scoresheet for Kasper Hjulmand's side while the Premier League outfit were unable to find their way past a resolute Leverkusen defence, seeing them lose their first game in the competition this season.
Guardiola made 10 changes from the City side that lost to Newcastle United, with only Nico Gonzalez keeping his place, but the hosts started on the front foot as Nathan Ake and Tijjani Reijnders both tested Mark Flekken.
But it was Leverkusen who went ahead in the 23rd minute, with Christian Kofane laying the ball off for Grimaldo from Ibrahim Maza's cross, and the Spaniard found the bottom-right corner with a first-time strike.
City continued to create chances as Reijnders forced another save from Flekken before the goalkeeper also kept out a deflected cross from Oscar Bobb.
However, the Bundesliga side doubled their advantage early in the second half as Schick powered a header past James Trafford.
Erling Haaland came off the bench but failed to get the better of Flekken, while Rayan Cherki also saw a late free-kick denied by the Dutchman as Guardiola was made to rue his tactical changes.
8 – Alejandro Grimaldo scored his 8th goal for Bayer 04 Leverkusen in all competitions this season, the most of any player for the club in 2025-26 and twice as many as he managed last season (4 in 48 apps). Leader. pic.twitter.com/qKHbvSt3sF
— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) November 25, 2025
Data Debrief: Captain Grimaldo leads the way
After a humbling 7-2 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain earlier this season in the Champions League, Leverkusen showed their grit and determination while defending against City.
The hosts produced 1.84 expected goals (xG) from 19 shots, while Leverkusen accumulated just 0.55 from seven attempts.
Grimaldo scored his eighth goal for Leverkusen in all competitions this season, the most of any player for the club in 2025-26 and twice as many as he managed last season (four in 48 appearances).
This was also the first time City have lost to a German club at home in the Champions League since 2013, when Guardiola led Bayern Munich to a 3-1 win.
Match Events
0' The match is about to start!
6' Ake makes a decent connection but Flekken makes a brilliant fingertip save
12' Positive attack from Poku, whose low powerful effort is blocked by Ait-Nouri
20' Savinho tries to thread through for Reijnders but his shot is saved
25' GOAL! Grimaldo slots home to open the scoring! Man City 0-1 Leverkusen
30' Pep made 10 changes to his starting line-up and it is backfiring thus far
44' Highlight from Man City vs Leverkusen
45' Reijnders' shot is denied by Mark Flekken
46' Foden, Doku and O'Reilly come on as Bobb, Ait-Nouri and Rico Lewis make way
48' Haaland is warming up along the pitch
54' O'Reilly gets a shot away just on the edge of box but it's straight at Flekken
55' GOAL! Schick heads across Ake to double the lead! Man City 0-2 Leverkusen
62' Alejandro Grimaldo goes into the book for a foul on Savinho
68' Here comes Haaland and Cherki as Marmoush and Abdukodir Khusanov make way
72' Haaland gets chance but his touch to get around the goalkeeper is tame
76' Haaland has a shot over the bar
86' Cherki looking for the top corner but it's comfortably punched away by Flekken
90' Highlight from Man City vs Leverkusen
Line-ups
Man City XI: Ake, Stones, Omar Marmoush, Reijnders, Rayan Aït-Nouri, Nico González, James Trafford, Bobb, Lewis, Savinho, Abdukodir Khusanov
Subs: Bettinelli, Ruben Dias, Bernardo Silva, Donnarumma, Haaland, Foden, Matheus Nunes, Cherki, Doku, Gvardiol, Nico O'Reilly
Leverkusen XI: Grimaldo, Mark Flekken, Schick, A.García, Loïc Badé, Malik Tillman, Quansah, Ernest Poku, Belocian, Ibrahim Maza, Christian Kofane
Subs: Lomb, Tella, Echeverri, Eliesse Ben Seghir, Ferdinand Pohl, Naba Mensah, Montrell Culbreath, Jesper Schlich, Ben Hawighorst, Jeremiah Mensah