""Too many changes," said Guardiola afterwards. "Maybe it was too much seeing the result. It is what it is. I take absolute responsibility. I like everybody to be involved and when they don't play it's tough, but maybe it was too much. Sometimes I like to be too nice and involve everyone. It didn't work and I have to accept it.""
"The City boss made 10 changes in response to Saturday's 2-1 defeat to Newcastle United. Guardiola said he would have made 11 if he could, but with Rodri still sidelined, Nico González kept his place. It was a gamble that didn't pay off. With Erling Haaland, Phil Foden, and Gianluigi Donnarumma watching from the bench, the Bundesliga club took advantage of a rusty City team to score first and go in at halftime 1-0 up."
Manchester City made heavy rotation for the Champions League match, with Pep Guardiola making ten changes and keeping Nico González because Rodri remained sidelined. Erling Haaland, Phil Foden and Gianluigi Donnarumma began on the bench while Bayer Leverkusen capitalised on a rusty City side to take a first-half lead. Guardiola replaced Rayan Aït-Nouri, Oscar Bobb and Rico Lewis at halftime with regular starters and introduced more substitutes in the second half, including Haaland. The substitutions failed to turn the game and Leverkusen scored again, condemning City to a 2-0 defeat and prompting Guardiola to accept responsibility for over-rotating the squad.
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