Guardiola Admits ‘Too Nice’ Gamble as Manchester City Slip in Champions League Clash With Bayer Leverkusen

Pep Guardiola takes full blame after Manchester City vs Bayer Leverkusen Champions League setback

Pep Guardiola has never been one to hide behind excuses, but even by his honest standards, Tuesday night at the Etihad was unusually self-critical. A landmark evening — his 100th Champions League match in charge of Manchester City — should have been a celebration of his European legacy. Instead, it became an uncomfortable moment of soul-searching as Bayern Leverkusen left Manchester with a composed, confident 2-0 win and City’s manager openly admitting he had gambled… and lost.

On a cold Manchester night, Guardiola decided to rotate heavily, making ten changes from the team that had already tasted Premier League defeat against Newcastle United just three days earlier. It was described as a “first time in my life” kind of risk — one the Catalan coach took to protect his squad from burnout during what he sees as an unforgiving fixture calendar. But by the end of the 90 minutes, the experiment had unravelled in front of a frustrated home crowd, leaving City with back-to-back defeats and, arguably, more questions than answers.

A Selection Gamble That Never Found Its Footing

There is always a sense of intrigue when Guardiola springs a tactical surprise, but this one had fans scratching their heads the moment the team sheet dropped. No Erling Haaland, no Phil Foden, no Ruben Dias — a spine that City rely upon in games that truly matter. Instead, City lined up with a side that looked more like a Carabao Cup rotation than a Champions League fixture against a Leverkusen team currently thriving in the Bundesliga.

For Xabi Alonso’s side, it was an opportunity — and they seized it. Alejandro Grimaldo continued his superb form, bending a superb strike beyond City’s keeper, before Patrik Schick added a second, punishing a City team that lacked rhythm, urgency and, most visibly, conviction. With so many changes, City never found the natural flow that Guardiola sides are famous for. Their passing was slower, their pressing less coordinated, and their attacking edge softened without the presence of Haaland’s movement or Foden’s creativity.

By the time Guardiola turned to his bench in the second half — full of the “weapons” he mentioned later — the damage felt irreversible. Leverkusen had already grown into the contest, settling into defensive phases with assurance and springing out on the counter with precision. City, meanwhile, were chasing shadows.

‘Too Nice’ Guardiola Takes the Blame — Publicly and Completely

Guardiola

Speaking in the press room afterwards, Guardiola didn’t attempt to filter his frustration with himself.

“I take full responsibility,” he said. “Too many changes. I always had the belief it’s a long season and everyone has to be involved, but maybe it was too much. It was the first time in my life I’ve done it and it was too much.”

This wasn’t just Pep analysing tactics — this was Pep admitting he’d misjudged the emotional and competitive stakes of the night. His explanation, though, was not without logic. He spoke about players going “five, six, seven games” without starting, and about the impossibility of any squad enduring “games every three or four days” after international breaks. It was Guardiola the human being, not the footballing professor, explaining why he tried to be “too nice” by giving minutes to those on the fringes.

But as he put it himself: “It didn’t work and we have to accept it.”

For a manager who has built his career on control, precision, and always being one step ahead, this felt like a rare moment where the usually faultless calculation had simply misfired.

City’s Bigger Problem: Who Else Scores?

Resting Haaland was bold, but the deeper issue is that Manchester City still struggle when he is not on the pitch — and Guardiola himself signalled this after the Newcastle defeat.

“Yes, the chances were clear, but we have to score more goals,” he said. “Our players have the ability and quality to do it.”

Yet the numbers tell their own story. Without Haaland, City’s goal threat becomes unpredictable, and in this Leverkusen match it was virtually invisible. The rotation didn’t just remove physical sharpness — it removed chemistry, a sense of patterns, the kind of intuitive combinations that City typically generate without thinking.

Players who needed minutes also showed rust. Others, handed rare opportunities, looked like they were trying too hard to impress. It led to a performance that lacked punch, imagination and the kind of cold-blooded edge you need in Europe.

Pressure Rising With Leeds United Up Next

City’s back-to-back defeats — first to Newcastle in the Premier League and now to Leverkusen — have created an unexpected wobble for a team that has become synonymous with relentless consistency. Losing to Newcastle widened the gap to league leaders Arsenal to seven points, and although a title race is never decided in November, Guardiola knows momentum matters.

Leeds United arrive at the Etihad on Saturday, struggling, inconsistent and vulnerable — the kind of opposition City usually sweep aside without hesitation. But given the mood around the club right now, that match suddenly carries a bit more weight. Guardiola needs his side to reset quickly, rediscover their spark, and, most importantly, rebuild confidence before the season threatens to drift into unnecessary complications.

Expect a very strong XI. Expect Haaland, Foden, Dias and the usual core to return. Expect Guardiola to abandon “too nice” for something far more familiar: ruthlessness.

A Lesson Learned on a Night That Was Supposed to Be a Milestone

Tuesday night should have been about Guardiola reaching his 100th Champions League match with Manchester City — an achievement that speaks to sustained excellence in a competition that regularly exposes flaws. Instead, it became a reminder that even the most decorated managers can overthink, overreach, or simply misjudge the moment.

But if history has taught us anything about Pep Guardiola, it’s that he rarely makes the same mistake twice. The gamble failed, yes — but the response will almost certainly be sharp, decisive and uncompromising.

For City, the Champions League journey isn’t derailed. It’s simply been jolted.

And now, the only question is how quickly they can straighten the path ahead.