Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola commented on the large rotation that took place during the Champions League 5th round match against Bayer Leverkusen. The match ended 2-0 in favor of the Leverkusen side, and it was this defeat that forced Guardiola to pause and think about his decisions.
In an interview with the BBC, the coach admitted that this time there were many changes:
"Did I really substitute 10 key players? If we had won, it would have seemed like a simple rotation. But judging by the results, this time I probably exceeded the rotation. The calendar is very tight - games every two or three days - so rotation is necessary. But this time the changes were a little excessive," he said.
Guardiola emphasized that playing regularly in a short time for high-level teams requires proper preparation of players. However, in the match against Bayer Leverkusen, it was strong rotation that slowed down game discipline and disrupted the team's movements.
Notably, Guardiola renewed almost the entire squad after a 1-2 defeat against Newcastle on Saturday. The only player in the starting lineup in both matches was Nico Gonzalez. This once again demonstrated the coach's trust in the young player.
In fact, if City had won, the manager's large rotation could have been considered a "brave decision." However, against the backdrop of the defeat, these changes became the focus of discussion and prompted Guardiola to be more cautious in choosing the squad for future opponents.
Now, City faces a series of more crucial matches ahead. Fans are looking with great interest at how Guardiola will select lineups for upcoming matches, how he will continue the rotation, and how these decisions will determine the team's quality of play.
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