Reeling from another blow to their Premier League title hopes, Manchester City have some wrongs to right when they welcome Bayer Leverkusen to the Etihad on Tuesday in the Champions League league phase.
The Sky Blues have collected 10 points from their opening four games to sit fourth in the 36-team table, 17 places better off than their 21st-ranked visitors, although the German giants arrive in a rich vein of form.
Match preview
By the close of play in Premier League gameweek 12, Manchester City could have been just one point behind leaders Arsenal. Instead, the Gunners will extend their advantage over Pep Guardiola's men to seven points if they prevail against North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.
After an hour of goalless action against Newcastle United at St James' Park, a chaotic 10-minute period in the second half saw Harvey Barnes draw first blood, Ruben Dias respond, and Barnes bag his second of the night in a memorable 2-1 triumph for Eddie Howe's men.
City's defeat against the Magpies - their second consecutive away loss in the Premier League - snapped their stellar four-game victorious run across all competitions and raised more question marks about their title credentials, but the Citizens have found comfort in Europe.
Indeed, Guardiola's men have only been out-performed by perfect Arsenal, Bayern Munich and Inter Milan in this year's league phase and eased to a 4-1 battering of Borussia Dortmund last time out - their sixth of seven successive home wins across all competitions.
The Sky Blues have now gone a remarkable 23 home games without defeat in the Champions League league phase/group stage - winning 20 of them - and Guardiola's men have found the back of the net at least twice in each of their seven straight wins at the Etihad.
Bayer Leverkusen manager Kasper Hjulmand during his side's match against Paris Saint-Germain, on October 21, 2025
The hosts' Etihad mettle will be tested to the extreme against a revitalised Leverkusen, though, as the 2023-24 Bundesliga Invincibles arrive in Manchester having risen from the ashes since Kasper Hjulmand replaced the doomed Erik ten Hag.
The former Denmark boss led the Werkself to their first Champions League win of the season at the fourth attempt on November 5, masterminding a 1-0 triumph at Jose Mourinho's Benfica, and his men have been on the Bundesliga warpath since then.
After entering the international break on the back of a 6-0 slaughter of Heidenheim, Leverkusen ran out 3-1 winners at Wolfsburg on Saturday evening, rising to second in the Bundesliga table in the process.
Seven of the visitors' last nine matches in all competitions have now ended in victory, and another success on Tuesday would be particularly momentous for the German giants, who are just one win away from their 50th triumph in Europe's top competition.
That will of course be easier said than done against the 2022-23 champions, but Tuesday's tussle is also one of unknowns, as Man City and Bayer Leverkusen will be meeting in a competitive game for the very first time this week.
Manchester City Champions League form:
Manchester City form (all competitions):
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Bayer Leverkusen Champions League form:
Bayer Leverkusen form (all competitions):
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Team News
Rodri of Manchester City in Champions League action on September 18, 2025
City continue to cope without midfield pairing Rodri and Mateo Kovacic, the former of whom is a serious doubt for this game with a hamstring problem, while Kovacic's calcified ankle will take a few months to heal.
The hosts are otherwise in good nick for the visit of Leverkusen, so Guardiola will no doubt be tempted into a few changes after Saturday's setback, which spells optimism for the likes of John Stones, Tijjani Reijnders and Savinho.
Erling Haaland had a day to forget at St James' Park, but the Scandinavian sensation has scored in each of his last five Champions League games and also netted four times against Leverkusen during his Dortmund days.
As for the German side, midfield fulcrum Robert Andrich is serving the second of a two-game ban for his red card in the 7-2 loss to Paris Saint-Germain - where he elbowed Desire Doue - while defender Edmond Tapsoba is also suspended for accumulated bookings.
With Tapsoba sidelined, England international Jarell Quansah should line up alongside Loic Bade and Jeanuel Belocian at the back, as fellow defender Axel Tape is still missing with a thigh injury.
Andrich's ban leaves Leverkusen with just two available central midfielders in Ibrahim Maza and Aleix Garcia, as Equi Fernandez (ligament) and Exequiel Palacios (adductor) are both unavailable, and Maza was also taken off at half time against Wolfsburg due to a small blow to the thigh.
If Maza's issue proves serious, on-loan Man City midfielder Claudio Echeverri could earn a rare start against his parent club, albeit in a deeper role than he may be accustomed to.
Ex-Real Madrid stalwart Lucas Vazquez (muscle) and Arthur (back) are also in danger of missing out for the away side.
Manchester City possible starting lineup:
Donnarumma; Lewis, Stones, Gvardiol, Ait-Nouri; Gonzalez; Savinho, Reijnders, Foden, Doku; Haaland
Bayer Leverkusen possible starting lineup:
Flekken; Belocian, Bade, Quansah; Tella, Maza, Garcia, Grimaldo; Tillman, Poku; Schick
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We say: Manchester City 3-1 Bayer Leverkusen
Goals have been relatively easy for Leverkusen to come by recently - scoring 16 across their last six games - and Hjulmand's in-form side can expose a permeable and potentially rotated City backline.
However, the visitors are also depleted by injuries, suspensions and ineligibility, and in their weakened state, they should not pose too stiff a challenge to a Man City outfit who often run riot at home.
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