Champions League Shock: Manchester City and Barcelona Suffer Heavy Losses

Champions League Shock: Manchester City and Barcelona Suffer Heavy Losses

A night full of surprises and dramatic twists in the Champions League saw Manchester City and Barcelona suffer notable defeats on Tuesday, highlighting defensive frailties and missed opportunities. In Pep Guardiola’s 100th Champions League game as City’s coach, his side struggled against Bayer Leverkusen’s rapid transitions and fell 2-0 at home. Alejandro Grimaldo opened the scoring with a precise low shot, followed by Patrik Schick’s header after halftime, leaving City unable to respond despite 10 changes to the starting lineup and Erling Haaland on the bench.

Barcelona, meanwhile, faced its own set of challenges at Stamford Bridge, succumbing 3-0 to Chelsea. A first-half own goal by Jules Koundé and a red card for defender Ronald Araújo left the team reeling. The 18-year-old Estevão stole the spotlight with a brilliant solo effort, holding off defenders and finishing clinically, before Liam Delap sealed the victory with a close-range strike. The loss marks Barcelona’s fourth in 10 matches across all competitions, raising questions over Hansi Flick’s strategies and the team’s defensive discipline.

These defeats reshuffled the standings but left the top of the table largely unchanged. Manchester City would have claimed first place with a win, but Bayern Munich, Arsenal, and Inter Milan remain atop, awaiting their matches. Chelsea’s victory pushed them to fifth, while Borussia Dortmund climbed to fourth after a commanding 4-0 win over 10-man Villarreal. Juventus also secured a late stoppage-time victory against Bodo/Glimt to improve their campaign.

Elsewhere, José Mourinho celebrated his first Champions League win with Benfica as Samuel Dahl’s early volley helped secure a 2-0 triumph over Ajax, who remain winless after five group-stage games. Marseille turned around a difficult match against Newcastle thanks to a brace from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, while Canadian forward Promise David scored the only goal for Union Saint-Gilloise in a narrow 1-0 win against injury-depleted Galatasaray.

Scott McTominay was in the spotlight for Napoli, scoring the opening goal in their 2-0 win over Qarabag, in a match that also marked the fifth anniversary of Diego Maradona’s passing. Athletic Bilbao was held to a goalless draw by Slavia Prague, leaving both clubs outside the qualifying positions after five games.

Tuesday’s results underscored the unpredictability of the Champions League, where defensive errors and moments of individual brilliance can dramatically change the course of a match. With top teams facing tough fixtures ahead, the group stage promises more surprises, turning every matchday into a battle of skill, resilience, and tactical acumen.