"The players who took the field yesterday are special" - Pep Guardiola on the defeat to Bayer

Bayer has improved their chances of advancing to the next round of the Champions League.

Details: Manchester City head coach Pep Guardiola commented on his team's 0-2 defeat to Bayer Leverkusen and explained why the Citizens played with a rotated squad:

"Well, this was not the game we were hoping for, and perhaps I have to take full responsibility for that.

Nevertheless, I believe the players who started are special, but we lost what is needed at the highest level. It was an incredible opportunity, and now we have to fight in the upcoming matches.

Bayer's players showed great quality, but we played well too. We had our chances, and I'd say we actually had more than they did, but they were only half-chances," UEFA's press service quotes Guardiola as saying.

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Currently, Manchester City sits in 5th place in the overall Champions League group stage table with 10 points. Bayer Leverkusen is in 13th place with 8 points.

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