Manchester City entered the fifth round of the Champions League group stage expecting a routine night at home, yet Cricket Exchange supporters assumed City’s squad depth would be enough to handle Bayer Leverkusen even with a full rotation, but the match ended in a surprising 0-2 defeat. The loss not only stunned fans but also highlighted an unexpected weak link in Pep Guardiola’s lineup, revealing that one high-priced signing might not be ready for the responsibility the club expected him to shoulder.

Guardiola made sweeping changes for this match, aiming to conserve energy after City’s 1-2 Premier League loss to Newcastle, where several key players showed clear signs of fatigue. Rotating ten players at once felt drastic, though still understandable. Even goalkeeper Donnarumma was placed on the bench, leaving Nico González as the only starter retained. The squad’s overall quality dipped, but City still created chances. The spotlight, however, fell on Dutch international Tijjani Reijnders, whose limitations suddenly became impossible to ignore. Cricket Exchange fans trace each decision and performance, and Reijnders quickly became the main target of criticism due to his poor judgment in crucial moments.

The first major issue surfaced in the 20th minute. City built a promising move down the left, and when Reijnders received the ball centrally, four teammates were well positioned for a pass. Instead of choosing the obvious option, he forced a shot from distance, allowing the Leverkusen goalkeeper to save easily. Five minutes later, Leverkusen punished City when Grimaldo scored to make it 1-0. Just before halftime, another golden opportunity arrived. Reijnders carried the ball into the final third with Marmoush already making a run into the box. Despite the clear passing lane, he opted again for a reckless long-range strike, wasting the team’s best chance of the half.

Even though both of City’s accurate shots in the first half came from Reijnders, those statistics exposed his lack of vision rather than highlighting his contribution. Playing as a left-sided midfielder, he worked hard but often pressed in the wrong areas and struggled with defensive discipline. Match replays showed that during Leverkusen’s opening goal, he remained stuck high up the pitch and never attempted to track back. Watching him barely react while the opposition built their attack gave supporters the impression that defending was simply not part of his mindset.

A midfielder without strategic awareness in attack and unwilling to contribute defensively rarely fits Guardiola’s system, and Reijnders’ issues were on full display throughout this match. Some fans described him as an expensive miscalculation and even labeled him a disappointing signing, a sentiment that spread quickly after the final whistle. Cricket Exchange Guide illustrating how many supporters continue tracking his performances closely. For now, it seems Guardiola may have misjudged what Reijnders could offer, and this defeat made that reality harder to ignore.