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Leverkusen defeats Manchester City: Bundesliga honor saved at the Etihad!
Bayer Leverkusen beat Manchester City 2-0 at the Etihad Stadium to secure UEFA Champions League victory.
Leverkusen defeats Manchester City: Bundesliga honor saved at the Etihad!
Bayer 04 Leverkusen caused a real bang in the Champions League! At the legendary Etihad Stadium they defeated Manchester City 2-0 and showed once again that anything is possible in football. Again kicker reported, the Leverkusen team ended four of the hosts' series.
The game was a clash of heavyweights. City had previously won 13 Champions League games against German teams at the Etihad and had never failed to score in 19 European home games against German clubs. Once again it proved that football loves surprises - Leverkusen were able to celebrate thanks to a stable team performance, even after Pep Guardiola substituted two strong players in Erling Haaland and Phil Foden.
An evening full of highlights
What a spectacular duel! Alejandro Grimaldo opened the scoring for Leverkusen in the 23rd minute with a goal that underlined his form in the Champions League season - it was his second goal in five games. The assist came from Kofane, who proved to be a valuable teammate. In the second half, Leverkusen closed the bag: Patrik Schick increased the score to 2-0 in the 54th minute with an assist from Maza. Schick celebrated his first goal in consecutive Champions League games, like that Bundesliga described in detail.
Leverkusen's defensive performance was particularly strong, led by keeper Mark Flekken, who made an important save against Nathan Aké, among others. This stability contributed significantly to their success and is particularly noteworthy given that in their previous twelve European Cup appearances against Premier League clubs, Leverkusen had always failed to score at half-time.
Statistics at a glance
| Statistics | Leverkusen | Manchester City |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 2 | 0 |
| Shots on goal | 4 | 3 |
| Corners | 2 | 5 |
With this victory, Leverkusen climbed to 13th place in the group stage and celebrated their 50th victory in European Cup history. Who would have thought that they would come back so strongly on the international stage after their last success against Benfica? The last time a Bundesliga team celebrated a victory in England was still fresh in the fans' minds: FC Bayern beat Manchester United last season.
Looking ahead, Leverkusen has several challenges in the near future: Newcastle United, Olympiacos and Villarreal are on the agenda. The next games will show whether the form curve continues to point upwards or whether the air becomes thinner again. The fans can be excited!