Manchester City, nicknamed "The Citizens," lost 0-2 to Bayer Leverkusen in the fifth round of the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League, conceding goals in both halves. In an interview, Pep Guardiola commented that his team was too worried about making mistakes and lacked sufficient aggression.

In the 23rd minute of the match, Cofane passed the ball back from the penalty area to Grimaldo, who volleyed it into the net, giving Leverkusen a 1-0 lead.

In the 54th minute of the second half, Ibrahim Maza crossed the ball from the front, and Patrick Schick headed it into the net, giving Bayer Leverkusen a 2-0 lead.

Ultimately, Manchester City lost 0-2 to Bayer Leverkusen at the Etihad Stadium.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said, "There were too many changes. I've always said that in a long season, with a game every two or three days, all the players have to be involved. Maybe there were just too many changes this time, judging from the results. I think everyone was too worried about making mistakes and not doing what they were supposed to do."

“If you’re always thinking about avoiding causing trouble for the team, you can’t really relax, not only when you have the ball, but also when you don’t. We had some chances, but we weren’t aggressive enough. They are a very good team, so congratulations to Bayer Leverkusen.”

Guardiola also stated, "I have to take responsibility because I want everyone to be involved. It's very painful to go three to six games without playing time, but perhaps this time we really went too far."

"When you're on a top team, you have to step up. The same goes for the substitutes. We slipped more than 10 times, and every shot we had was blocked. Bayer Leverkusen is a really great team with some really good players. Maybe the players who have been playing more often recently will have more confidence and be able to help the players on the field more."

Guardiola continued, "Sometimes I want everyone to feel involved, but around international breaks, we have to play four or five games, and now until March, it's another game every three or four days. However, we hope the team won't be eliminated from the FA Cup or the League Cup. Nobody can handle that kind of pressure. I was thinking before, since we're playing at home and in a good position in the Champions League, let's give it a try."

"Perhaps everyone played too cautiously, afraid to make mistakes, because they wanted to help the team, but the result was that they didn't do what they were supposed to do, so the players have to play more freely."

Guardiola added, "We have capable substitutes, but frankly, it didn't work this time, and we have to accept that. Now we don't need to say much, we just need to clear our minds and prepare for the game against Leeds United."