Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has delivered a frank assessment of his team’s performance in their midweek Champions League loss, pointing to a lack of courage and an overly cautious approach from his players.
The Premier League champions fell to a 2-0 defeat away to Bayer Leverkusen, a match for which Guardiola made sweeping changes to his starting lineup. The manager suggested that the selected players failed to display the necessary bravery and attacking intent required at this level.
“We simply didn’t try,” Guardiola stated in his post-match remarks. “When you step onto the pitch, you have to attempt to make things happen, and we didn’t. Perhaps I have more belief in these players than they have in themselves at this moment. They seemed to play not to make a mistake, to be safe. That mentality makes football very difficult.”
With a congested fixture schedule ahead, squad rotation is essential, but the performance has raised questions about the depth and confidence within the squad. Guardiola indicated that the experience served as a reminder, even for someone of his tenure, about the psychological demands of the game.
Attention now turns to domestic matters, with City set to host Leeds United this weekend. Guardiola is expected to reinstate many of his regular starters as the team seeks to halt a brief run of poor results. Leeds, currently struggling near the bottom of the table, will face a City side likely eager to respond.
The team continues to be without key midfielder Rodri due to a hamstring issue, though his return is reportedly not far away.