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The Digest:

Pep Guardiola has shouldered the blame for Manchester City's surprising 2-0 home defeat—a moment where a master tactician's calculated gamble collided with the unforgiving reality of elite competition, revealing how even the most brilliant minds can misjudge the balance between rotation and readiness.

Key Points:
  • Pep Guardiola made ten changes to Manchester City's starting lineup
  • The rotated side lost 2-0 to Bayer Leverkusen at the Etihad Stadium
  • Guardiola admitted the scale of changes was likely "too much."
  • Goals from Alex Grimaldo and Patrik Schick secured the visitors' win
  • This marked City's first back-to-back defeats since August
  • The manager had cited "fresh legs" as necessary before the match
  • The loss complicates City's position in their Champions League group
In a competition where every detail matters, this defeat serves as a stark reminder that depth and rotation are virtues only when carefully measured against consistency and momentum.

Sources: Sky Sports, Goal