Manchester City boss, Pep Guardiola, took full responsibility for his team’s 2-0 loss to Bayer Leverkusen in the UEFA Champions League after making a sweeping 10 changes to his starting lineup.
Only Nico Gonzalez retained his place from City’s Premier League defeat to Newcastle United on Saturday, while James Trafford, Nathan Ake, and Oscar Bobb earned rare starts in the revamped lineup.
Ahead of the match, Guardiola had told TNT Sports that he would have rotated all eleven players if possible, citing the need for “fresh legs” after a busy run of fixtures.
However, the gamble backfired as Alex Grimaldo and Patrik Schick scored to hand Leverkusen a vital three points in the battle for a spot in the knock-out stages.
Speaking to TNT Sports after the game, Guardiola admitted that perhaps making so many changes was a mistake.
“I understand your question,” Guardiola said. “Absolutely, I have to accept it. I have to accept that if we win, it will not be a problem.
“I accept that maybe it’s a lot, but I think they’re playing every two or three or four days, we need to… but maybe it’s too much. Seeing the result, maybe it’s too much.”
The defeat sees City lose consecutive matches for the first time since August. It is also only the second time this season they have dropped points in the Champions League, with a tough trip to Real Madrid looming next month.
