UCL: Leverkusen Shock City at Etihad in UCL Thriller

Leverkusen Shock City at Etihad in UCL Thriller. Grimaldo and Schick Send Guardiola's City Side packing.

Schick's goal, his second in as many European games, dealt a blow to City's chances...

Florian Wirtz's absence was felt, but Bayer Leverkusen's attack was too strong for City's rotated squad. Grimaldo and Schick scored as Leverkusen stunned Pep Guardiola's Manchester City 2-0 at the Etihad Stadium, handing the Citizens a harsh reality check in the Champions League.

Guardiola's 100th UCL game as City boss was a nightmare, with Leverkusen's away performance proving too strong for the hosts. The German side's 2-0 win marked their second UCL away win against English opposition, and City's struggles continued.

The much-changed Manchester City side made a positive start to proceedings, with Nathan Ake forcing Mark Flekken into making a smart reaction stop at the near post. However, Leverkusen quickly gathered their composure from that early scare and stunned their hosts with the opening goal midway through the first period.

The German outfit put together a slick move to work the ball from back to front, culminating with Christian Kofane neatly cushioning a cross down for Alejandro Grimaldo to drill a low strike past James Trafford.

City pushed for an equalizer, but Leverkusen's Mark Flekken made a crucial save to deny Tijjani Reijnders. Pep Guardiola's substitutions at halftime failed to spark a City revival, as Leverkusen's Patrik Schick scored a decisive second goal, heading in from Ibrahim Maza's cross.

Schick's goal, his second in as many European games, dealt a blow to City's chances, and Leverkusen's lead looked like it would be enough to secure a famous win.

Big win for Leverkusen ⚫️🔴#UCL pic.twitter.com/vdCFBHLs8c

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) November 25, 2025

Erling Haaland's introduction almost made an impact, but Mark Flekken's brilliant save denied him. Flekken's heroics continued as he tipped Rayan Cherki's late free-kick around the post, securing Leverkusen's 2-0 win.

Leverkusen leapfrog City into 13th spot, while City's unbeaten UCL record comes to an end. Kasper Hjulmand's side are now just two points off sixth-placed City.