Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola took full blame for the club's Champions League loss to Bayer Leverkusen after a "first time in my life" selection gamble. City failed to bounce back from their 2-1 defeat against Newcastle United in the Premier League on Saturday as Guardiola paid the price for making 10 changes to his starting lineup.
Manchester City fans joked that Pep Guardiola had named a starting line-up more befitting of a Carabao Cup tie than a Champions League match as the manager made 10 changes for his side's clash with Bayer Leverkusen. Erling Haaland was among those dropped for the game against the Bundesliga side, three days after City fell to a 2-1 defeat by Newcastle in the Premier League.
Claudio Echeverri’s loan spell at Bayer Leverkusen has taken a difficult turn, with the Manchester City teenager struggling for minutes and growing increasingly frustrated with his situation in Germany. Pep Guardiola, when asked about the Argentine’s lack of game time and the possibility of a January recall, offered a blunt response, leaving the player’s future wide open amid rising uncertainty.
U.S. international Malik Tillman capped a sweeping Bayer Leverkusen move in the 33rd minute at Volkswagen Arena, racing onto a threaded pass before holding off a defender and finishing calmly past the goalkeeper. The well-taken strike - his third of the 2025–26 Bundesliga season - completed a scintillating team sequence that began deep in Leverkusen’s half. Die Werkself won 3–1.
Bayern Munich have joined the race to sign in-form left-back Alejandro Grimaldo from their Bundesliga rivals Bayer Leverkusen, according to reports from Germany. The Spanish international has been enjoying great form in recent years and was linked with a return to Spain over the summer, but eventually opted to stay with Die Werkself for another year.
'The Bundesliga Tax'. It's a phrase that has become more prominent amongst supporters over the past decade or so, used to describe the growing trend of players who have lit up the German top-flight who have been sold to Premier League clubs for big money, only to fail to replicate that same form when arriving in England.
Bayer Leverkusen CEO Fernando Carro has suggested that Liverpool were not Florian Wirtz’s first choice when it came to a big-money transfer, with the Germany international favouring a switch to Spanish giants Real Madrid. He is, however, at Anfield after completing a £116 million ($152m) move that briefly broke recruitment records in Great Britain.
Bayern Munich continued their record-breaking start to the season as the Bundesliga leaders swept aside Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 at the Allianz Arena to secure a 15th straight victory of the new season. With Harry Kane named amongst the substitutes, Nicolas Jackson stepped up to score his first Bundesliga goal. Serge Gnabry also scored for Vincent Kompany's side, while Loic Bade put through his own net to secure the result before half-time.
Head coach Vincent Kompany has issued a simple but urgent warning to his Bayern Munich players: do not commit "stupid fouls" against Bayer Leverkusen. The coach has identified free-kick specialist Alejandro Grimaldo, who has scored four direct set-pieces already this season, as the primary threat to Bayern's perfect record in Saturday's Bundesliga clash.
Bayer Leverkusen head coach Kasper Hjulmand insists his side "can win" against Vincent Kompany's Bayern Munich, despite admitting the "gap is now bigger" to the defending champions. As Kompany and team ride a perfect 8-0 winning streak, Hjulmand is looking to "close the gap" and prove the runaway leaders are not "unbeatable" in Saturday's crucial clash.
Leeds could be facing the loss of one of their brightest talents as 16-year-old midfield prodigy Samuel Alker attracts interest from Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen. The England U17 international has impressed at U18 level, but with professional terms unsigned, top European clubs are circling, offering a tempting pathway to first-team football abroad.
Bayer Leverkusen's Aleix Garcia has apologised to fans for his side's "humiliating" 7-2 Champions League defeat to Paris Saint-Germain and admitted he was "really angry" about his ill-timed shirt swap with the 2025 Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembele. The midfielder scored both of Leverkusen's goals in the rout, which coach Kasper Hjulmand called "painful".
Former Paris Saint-Germain striker Pedro Miguel Pauleta has labelled Vitinha a "phenomenon," comparing the midfielder to Barcelona's Pedri and the legendary Andres Iniesta. The praise comes after the Portuguese star scored in PSG's 7-2 Champions League demolition of Bayer Leverkusen, with Pauleta hailing his compatriot's technique and positioning.
Paris Saint-Germain boss Luis Enrique has brutally told star forward Ousmane Dembele his Ballon d'Or award "means nothing" as he bids to add more trophies to his collection in the 2025-26 season. Dembele is set to return from injury and play for the first time since he won the prestigious Golden Ball, but Luis Enrique says that's now in the past and it's time to look ahead.
Paris Saint-Germain have been handed a major double boost ahead of their Champions League showdown against Bayer Leverkusen, with Ousmane Dembele and captain Marquinhos back in the squad after injury layoffs. The French champions travel to Germany with renewed confidence, although Luis Enrique will still be without midfielders Fabian Ruiz and Joao Neves.
Ex-Liverpool midfielder Tyler Morton opened up on the shock phone call he received from current Real Madrid boss Xabi Alonso, while being on a golf course. Alonso, who was managing Bayer Leverkusen last season, had shown interest in the Reds' youth star and wanted to bring him to Germany. Morton further revealed that he idolised the Spaniard while growing up.
USMNT midfielder Malik Tillman opened up about how the upcoming 2026 World Cup influenced his $40 million summer transfer to Bayer Leverkusen, stressing the importance of playing at the highest level in Europe to secure his place in Mauricio Pochettino's squad. Tillman transferred to Leverkusen in July after a standout season at PSV.
Bayer Leverkusen coach Kasper Hjulmand cannot understand the criticism Florian Wirtz is currently facing. Signed by Liverpool for the second-highest transfer fee in British football history over the summer, the German international has been below par in the first two months of his career at Anfield. Hjulmand, however, is confident that Wirtz will "prove to everyone" what he is really capable of.
Bayer Leverkusen
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