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LEVERKUSEN STUN MAN CITY 0-2: GRIMALDO, SCHICK HEROES

Bayer Leverkusen shocks Champions League holders Man City 2-0 at the Etihad. Clinical Germans hand Guardiola's rotated side a defeat.

Leverkusen Stun Man City 0-2: Grimaldo, Schick Heroes
Alejandro Grimaldo celebrates his goal against James Trafford.

Manchester City lost their first Champions League game of the season, with Bayer Leverkusen taking home a 2-0 victory at the Etihad.

City controlled much of the game, but Leverkusen was able to score on two of their seven shots.

In the 23rd minute, Leverkusen's quick counterattack led to Christian Kofone setting up Alejandro Grimaldo, who scored with a great shot from the left side.

Even though City kept up the pressure, Leverkusen scored nine minutes again into the second half when Patrick Schick headed in a goal.

In Pep Guardiola’s 100th Champions League game as City's manager, he made a lot of changes to the team that lost to Newcastle United. Nico González was the only player who started in both games.

City started strong, trying to score early. Nathan Aké had a close-range shot saved by Mark Flekken.

City started to get frustrated as passes went astray in the final third, and they were later made to pay for it.

Leverkusen looked threatening on the counter-attack, and this time they took advantage, scoring against the run of play. A fast break from the German team put Ibrahim Maza in a good position on the right.

Maza crossed the ball to Kofane, who passed it to Grimaldo, who shot the ball into the bottom corner, giving James Trafford no chance.

City didn't have many chances in the first half, even though they had the ball most of the time. Tijani Reijnders had a shot late in the half, but it went straight at Flekken.

City made three attacking substitutions at halftime to try to change the game. But Leverkusen scored again, taking a valuable two-goal lead against the 2023 Champions League winners.

Maza sent a great cross into the box, and Schick headed it into the net, shocking City.

In the 64th minute, Guardiola brought on Erling Haaland. The striker almost scored six minutes later when he tried to go around Flekken, but the goalkeeper stood firm.

Rayan Cherki took a free kick in the 85th minute, but Flekken saved it. It was becoming clear that it wasn’t going to be City’s night.

Despite City’s efforts to come back, Leverkusen's defence held strong to get a memorable win in the first game ever between the two teams.

City’s next game is away against Real Madrid. Leverkusen will play Newcastle United at home.

CONTRASTING FORTUNES: SCOTT MCTOMINAY SCORES, RASMUS HOJLUND MISSES PENALTY

Scott McTominay shines for Napoli as Rasmus Hojlund's struggles continue, missing a penalty in their Champions League victory.

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McTominay Shines After Hojlund Miss

Manchester United is aiming for a spot in Europe next season, but they have many weeks without matches, allowing them to focus on domestic games.

Ruben Amorim is keeping an eye on things happening in Europe, including Rasmus Hojlund's progress while on loan at Napoli.

The striker had trouble convincing the United coach that he deserved a spot in the team. The arrival of Benjamin Sesko meant even less playing time for him.

So, the Danish player decided to return to Serie A, hoping to get back to the form he had at Atalanta before moving to Old Trafford.

Hojlund started well, scoring four goals in all competitions, with two in the Champions League, but things have been harder recently.

He had a chance to end that bad run in the middle of the week, when Napoli played Qarabag in a big European match. The Man United player, on loan, had a chance to put his team ahead with a penalty.

But he missed, shooting the ball too close to the centre, and the goalkeeper, Mateusz Kochalski, was able to push it away.

It was a setback for Hojlund, but luckily, Scott McTominay, a former Man United star, stepped up.

The midfielder made two big plays in the game, scoring on a header to give Napoli the lead. Also, a few minutes later, his play led to an own goal. The game ended 2-0 for Napoli.

After the game, McTominay posted on social media: Champions League nights. The real MVPs, always, with a picture of the support staff.

He has been in great form since moving from Man United back in 2024.

The midfielder was important in helping Scotland get to the 2026 World Cup, beating Denmark and Hojlund to the top spot in their qualifying group.

Now back at Napoli, their performance is contrasting, with McTominay scoring goals often, while Hojlund is trying to score his first goal in six games.

PRIORITY ONE: THOMAS FRANK TARGETS PSG AFTER ROMERO'S 'STYLE' WARNING

Spurs boss Thomas Frank remains detached from criticism after the Arsenal loss as his team faces a crucial test of style against PSG.

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Frank's Top Priority vs PSG

Even a tough loss to Arsenal wasn't enough to get to Thomas Frank.

The Tottenham coach often says he doesn't pay much attention to the chatter around the club, except for what his press officer tells him or what reporters ask.

Sitting in Paris before a Champions League game against the champs, just days after a 4-1 defeat, Frank insisted that hasn't changed.

I don't read anything—no articles, no social media. So, I don't know if people are upset, he said.

Frank is smart, though. He probably has an idea what Spurs fans thought of the game and knows where the team needs work.

He's also heard enough this season to know people aren't thrilled with the way they play. Some home games have ended with boos, and after the Arsenal game, Frank and the players walked over to clap for the mostly empty away section.

Spurs now play Paris Saint-Germain tonight in what feels like the least important game of the week.

Fulham is coming to north London on Saturday, and that's a key game for Frank. If they don't win and win big, he'll have a hard time avoiding the criticism.

The Champions League isn't as risky since Spurs already have eight points from four games. A few more points should be enough to get them to the next round.

Frank's team needs to almost double their current points to finish in the top spots and move straight to the final 16, and a good result against PSG would help.

But that's not the biggest thing right now. How they play in this game will matter more than the score.

Losing 3-1, but really going for it against PSG, creating chances, even if they fall short against a better team, would be better than a boring 0-0 tie.

Frank's time at Spurs won't be judged by the PSG game. It'll be judged by whether Spurs start playing better together on offence.

Spurs have three of the five lowest xG scores in the league this season.

They were great defensively in the UEFA Super Cup against PSG in August, holding a 2-0 lead until the last few minutes despite having the ball only 25% of the time.

That was okay for Frank's first game, but it would be worrying if they haven't improved after a few months.

The fans need to see improvement, and so do the players. They can only be told to defend and disrupt so many times before they want to create. Too often, Frank's approach has made the players scared of the other team.

That can't be fun, and it won't work for long. Cristian Romero didn't like the mood at Spurs under Antonio Conte's style and praised Ange Postecoglou's more attacking style.

"It's the way Tottenham always played," Romero said in 2023. It's about taking risks and trying to control the game.

Again, a year later, the Spurs captain said, "We play in a fun style, and we're all happy with how the coach sets us up."

If Romero, a defender, doesn't like sitting back, the forwards definitely don't.

There's no such thing as an easy game at a club like Spurs, but fans will accept some losses.

This is one of those games, but only if Frank and his players show they're trying.

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