Sport

Pep Guardiola admits heavily rotated squad was ‘too much’ after landmark home loss

The dice roll didn't pay off.

Danny Jones - 26th November 2025

Pep Guardiola has conceded that his heavily rotated side, which saw almost an entirely different team from the previous matchday squad, may have been “too many changes” as Manchester City suffered their first home loss in the Champions League group stages in more than seven years.

Man City suffered a 2-0 defeat whilst hosting Bayer Leverkusen at the Etihad Stadium – a place that has been largely a fortress in European fixtures since the Catalan coach arrived – but the biggest headline on the night was the whopping 10 personnel changes Guardiola made to his starting XI.

It has been argued that Pep has become overly reliant on star striker Erling Haaland (who has already scored 19 goals in the Premier League and UCL combined this season), and the virtually ‘start-from-scratch’ outfit he fielded on Tuesday night definitely didn’t do him any favours.

Speaking to various media in post-match interviews and the press conference after the game, Pep admitted that his wholesale rotation gamble may have been “too much.”

"Maybe it was too much…"

Pep Guardiola reflected on Man City's home defeat to Bayer Leverkusen after making 10 changes 🔁 pic.twitter.com/WBZHwl3ZOb

— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) November 26, 2025

Considering the only continuity between the batch that faced Leverkusen and the previous squad that narrowly lost to Newcastle United was the still relatively new CDM, Nico González, we think he might be on to something.

In fact, as if the conviction behind the decision wasn’t already questionable enough, Pep insisted before the game that he would have made more if he could, but with fellow central midfielder talisman Rodri still injured, the number 14 was the sole teammate who remained from the weekend.

There are always going to be lapses in sharpness and fluidity when a lineup is shuffled, but it’s fair to say that it’s almost guaranteed when you remove every individual bar one.

Perhaps this was a somewhat covert/loaded attempt to shine a light again on previously mentioned complaints regarding squad depth in relation to the increasingly congested fixture list, with both Guardiola and the aforementioned Euro 2020 winner having flagged their concerns about the calendar.

This is also the second time in just a matter of days that the 54-year-old has held his hands up and taken accountability for making “huge mistakes”.

Not only was it City’s first Champions League loss of the season, but as mentioned, the first and at home in the competition’s initial stages in more than half a decade.

It’s quite a record that Pep has clung onto, which should get plenty of recognition in its own right, but supporters will nevertheless be hoping to get back to winning ways soon and avoid stringing together any more consecutive losses.

Last November was the first time Guardiola had ever lost four matches in a row during his entire career, and with a trio of very winnable fixtures coming up in the league, we would bank on a big reaction in the next game against Leeds.

If you missed the game, you can watch the highlights from Man City vs Bayer Leverkusen down below.

Read more:

• Scott Carson reveals important behind-the-scenes role at Manchester City
• The Mary Earps drama and why she’s catching flak: explained
• Manchester set to host five UEFA EURO 2028 matches – including England’s opening game

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Featured Images — CBS Sports Golazo (screenshot via YouTube)