UEFA Champions League League Stage - 5
Manchester City 0 - 2 FT Bayer Leverkusen
Match Statistics
Possession
Shots
Shots on Target
Expected Goals (xG)
Passes
Pass Accuracy
Corners
Fouls
Yellow Cards
Red Cards
Match Events
A. Grimaldo (C. M. Kofane) 23'
HT
46' ↓ O. Bobb ↑J. Doku
46' ↓ R. Ait Nouri ↑N. O'Reilly
46' ↓ R. Lewis ↑P. Foden
P. Schick (I. Maza) 54'
65' ↓ O. Marmoush ↑E. Haaland
65' ↓ A. Khusanov ↑R. Cherki
Christian Kofane 77'
↓ C. M. Kofane ↑N. Tella 82'
FT
Player Cards
Our take on every player in this match
Manchester City
Goalkeepers
J. Trafford 
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Defenders
A. Khusanov 
SWEEPER
6
Cleanups
6
Cleanups
5
Interceptions
1
Blocks
J. Stones 
ARCHITECT
2
Key Passes
2
Key Passes
0
Assists
75%
Pass Acc
N. Ake 
WALL
0
Dribbled Past
0
Dribbled Past
3
Tackles
73%
Duel Win %
R. Ait Nouri 
STORMTROOPER
1
Shots
1
Shots
0
Goals
0
On Target
Midfielders
R. Lewis
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
45
Total Mins
46
Entry
Nico 
MAGNET
72
Activity
72
Activity
65
Passes
7
Duels
T. Reijnders
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Forwards
O. Bobb
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
45
Total Mins
46
Entry
O. Marmoush
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
65
Total Mins
65
Entry
Savinho
MAGNET
62
Activity
62
Activity
50
Passes
12
Duels
BENCH
M. Bettinelli 
SPECTATOR
0
Saves
0
Saves
0
Conceded
0
Minutes
G. Donnarumma
SPECTATOR
0
Saves
0
Saves
0
Conceded
0
Minutes
R. Dias
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
J. Gvardiol
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
R. Cherki
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
25
Total Mins
Started
Entry
B. Silva
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
M. Nunes
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
N. O'Reilly
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
45
Total Mins
Started
Entry
P. Foden
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
45
Total Mins
Started
Entry
E. Haaland
STORMTROOPER
3
Shots
3
Shots
0
Goals
1
On Target
J. Doku
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
45
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Bayer Leverkusen
Goalkeepers
M. Flekken 
OCTOPUS
9
Saves
9
Saves
0
Conceded
100%
Save %
Defenders
E. Poku 
ENFORCER
4
Tackles
4
Tackles
5
Duels Won
71%
Win %
J. Quansah 
SHIELD
3
Blocks
3
Blocks
0
Interceptions
1
Tackles
L. Bade
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
J. Belocian
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
A. Grimaldo 
SNIPER
100%
Conversion
100%
Conversion
1
Goals
1
Shots
Midfielders
I. Maza 
PROVIDER
1
Assists
1
Assists
2
Key Passes
7.7
Rating
A. Garcia
MAGNET
90
Activity
90
Activity
84
Passes
6
Duels
M. Tillman
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Forwards
P. Schick
SNIPER
100%
Conversion
100%
Conversion
1
Goals
1
Shots
C. M. Kofane
PROVIDER
1
Assists
1
Assists
2
Key Passes
6.2
Rating
BENCH
N. Lomb
SPECTATOR
0
Saves
0
Saves
0
Conceded
0
Minutes
J. Schlich
SPECTATOR
0
Saves
0
Saves
0
Conceded
0
Minutes
B. Hawighorst
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
F. Pohl
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
C. Echeverri
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
J. Mensah
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
M. Culbreath
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
N. Mensah
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
E. Ben Seghir
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
N. Tella
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
10
Total Mins
Started
Entry
League Standings
P: 5 GD: +13
P: 5 GD: +11
P: 5 GD: +9
P: 5 GD: +9
P: 5 GD: +7
P: 5 GD: +6
P: 5 GD: +6
P: 5 GD: +6
P: 5 GD: +5
P: 5 GD: +1
P: 5 GD: +7
P: 5 GD: +2
P: 5 GD: +2
P: 5 GD: +1
P: 5 GD: +5
P: 5 GD: +3
P: 5 GD: -2
P: 5 GD: +2
P: 5 GD: -1
P: 5 GD: -3
P: 5 GD: +2
P: 5 GD: 0
P: 5 GD: -2
P: 5 GD: -3
P: 5 GD: -7
P: 5 GD: -5
P: 5 GD: -5
P: 5 GD: -7
P: 5 GD: -7
P: 5 GD: -4
P: 5 GD: -6
P: 5 GD: -4
P: 5 GD: -8
P: 5 GD: -8
P: 5 GD: -10
League Standings
P: 8 GD: +19
P: 8 GD: +14
P: 8 GD: +12
P: 8 GD: +10
P: 8 GD: +8
P: 8 GD: +7
P: 8 GD: +6
P: 8 GD: +6
P: 8 GD: +9
P: 8 GD: +8
P: 8 GD: +10
P: 8 GD: +10
P: 8 GD: +4
P: 8 GD: +2
P: 8 GD: 0
P: 8 GD: -1
P: 8 GD: +2
P: 8 GD: -4
P: 8 GD: -2
P: 8 GD: -2
P: 8 GD: -6
P: 8 GD: -8
P: 8 GD: -1
P: 8 GD: -2
P: 8 GD: -3
P: 8 GD: -3
P: 8 GD: -9
P: 8 GD: 0
P: 8 GD: -5
P: 8 GD: -6
P: 8 GD: -9
P: 8 GD: -13
P: 8 GD: -11
P: 8 GD: -14
P: 8 GD: -13
Match previews and recaps to help you decide which games are worth watching
Leverkusen's Masterclass Exposes City's Champions League Fragility
Skip It Futmetrix Score: 25/100. Manchester City's European campaign hit a wall at the Etihad as Bayer Leverkusen delivered a statement 2-0 victory that exposed the hollowness of possession without precision.
The Upset Unfolds
From the opening whistle, intensity tilted towards the visitors. City controlled the ball—55% possession, 589 passes—yet Leverkusen dictated the rhythm. Bayer Leverkusen struck first through Alejandro Grimaldo in the 23rd minute, a composed finish after Christian Kofane carved open City's defence. The Etihad fell silent. By the 54th minute, Patrik Schick doubled the lead, converting a chance set up by Ibrahim Maza's incisive play. City's defensive balance had crumbled.
Flekken's Fortress
Manchester City unleashed 19 shots—13 on target—yet Mark Flekken was immovable. The Leverkusen goalkeeper's nine saves formed an impenetrable wall. City's expected goals (1.78 xG) vastly outstripped their conversion rate, a damning indictment of their finishing. Flekken's commanding display transformed him into the evening's defining figure, turning away everything City's attacking arsenal could muster.
The Data Verdict
This wasn't a tactical revolution—it was clinical ruthlessness meeting profligacy. Leverkusen's 0.51 xG yielded two goals; City's 1.78 xG produced zero. The stakes of European football were laid bare: dominance without a killer instinct is merely background noise. City's passing accuracy (90%) and territorial control counted for nothing. Guardiola's side now faces a reckoning in their Champions League campaign, while Leverkusen's upset factor sends shockwaves through the competition.
Key Questions
What made Mark Flekken the Man of the Match?
Nine saves against City's relentless barrage. Flekken's positioning and reflexes neutralised every threat, turning City's 19-shot assault into a masterclass in goalkeeper dominance.
How did Leverkusen win with just 45% possession?
Clinical finishing. Two shots on target, two goals. City's 13 shots on target yielded nothing. Efficiency over volume—the Champions League's oldest lesson.
What is the Futmetrix Score?
The Futmetrix Score is our 0-100 verdict on how entertaining a match is. We look at intensity, balance, stakes, and star quality to tell you if it's worth your time.
Survival Instincts Ignite at the Etihad
Skip It Futmetrix Score: 31/100. While the lights of the Champions League usually signal glamour, this late November clash is a gritty exercise in avoiding the trapdoor of early elimination.
The Setup
The Stakes couldn't be clearer: Manchester City are fighting to cement their top-tier status, while Bayer Leverkusen arrive in Manchester teetering on the edge of the abyss. Sitting in 20th place, the visitors are desperate to arrest a slide that threatens their European campaign. City’s Form (WLWWD) suggests a side finding its rhythm, yet they lack the usual invincibility that defines the Pep Guardiola era. For Bayer Leverkusen, the Balance between defensive solidity and their trademark counter-attack has vanished, leaving them vulnerable to a City side that thrives on controlling the tempo.
Key Battle
This match will be won or lost in the tactical transition. Without specific individual duels to highlight, the focus shifts to the collective press. Erling Haaland will lead the line for Manchester City, looking to exploit a Leverkusen backline that has conceded 12 goals in just six matches. Conversely, Florian Wirtz will be the creative fulcrum for the Germans, tasked with finding pockets of space behind City’s high defensive line. It is a game of chicken: who blinks first under the suffocating pressure of the Etihad crowd?
Our Prediction
Expect a low-scoring, high-tension draw. City will dominate the ball, pinning Leverkusen deep into their own half, but the German side will find a moment of brilliance on the break. A 1-1 scoreline feels inevitable as both managers prioritize the point over the risk of a season-ending defeat.