Bayer Leverkusen defeated Manchester City 2:0 away in the fourth round of the Champions League.
The scorers were Alex Grimaldo in the 23rd minute and Patrik Schick in the 54th minute. It’s a big surprise. Both teams performed significantly weakened – the home team because the coach decided to play with a reserve team, and the visitors due to a large number of injuries and suspensions that left them without more than half of the team.
That is why the Germans especially celebrate this valuable victory.
Bild, Germany’s most widely circulated daily newspaper, under the headline “Barely assembled Bayer team punishes Pep’s arrogance” writes:
“Guardiola, in his 100th appearance in the Champions League, made a complete mistake. He sent, among others, the octopus Donnarumma, the goal machine Haaland, Doku, Foden, Ruben Dias and Bernardo Silva to the bench. Haaland entered the game only after 0:2. Too late, Bayer punished Pep’s act of arrogance.”
Bild further emphasizes:
“Bayer is missing eleven players from the first team (Andrich, Tapsoba, Hofmann, Fernandez, Palacios…). Unbelievably, there are as many as six players from the U19 selection sitting on the bench – which looks more like a school bench. The young goalkeeper Jesper Schlich already lost in the afternoon with the junior team against City’s U19 (0:6).”
After the game, Bayer coach Kasper Hjulmand commented on the decimated squad:
“It is what it is. I work with the players who are there, and they have quality.”
(Vijesti.ba)
