Man City vs Bayer Leverkusen LIVE: Early team news and how to watch Champions League fixture

Manchester City were standing in the middle of another unforgettable Champions League night, and the Etihad Stadium could already feel the electricity moving in the air long before kickoff. The blue lights, the flags waving, the chants echoing from every corner of the stands, everything was building towards something massive, something emotional, something that felt like a new page in the European journey of Pep Guardiola’s team. Tonight was not just a game; tonight was a chance to move one step closer to qualification, one step closer to their European dream, one step closer to telling the whole world that Manchester City were still hungry, still alive, still chasing greatness. They were up against Bayer Leverkusen, and everyone knew it was going to be a battle because the Champions League never gives an easy gift to anyone.

Manchester City already had 10 solid points from their first four games in the competition, and this game was their chance to stretch the gap, to protect their position at the top, and to keep the 100 percent home record that had become a beautiful badge of pride for every City supporter. They beat Borussia Dortmund 4–1 in their last Champions League match, and that night built new confidence in the team and the fans, because beating Dortmund in that convincing way showed everyone that City were still capable of absolute destruction on a good day. But football is not just about yesterday; football always asks the next question. And tonight’s question was simple: could Manchester City do it again? Could they beat another Bundesliga side? Could they score the goals and win the battle without some of their key players available?

Bayer Leverkusen were walking into Manchester with a complicated story around them. They started the season terribly, they looked confused, they looked broken, they looked like a club that was ready to give up on everything before the season even began. They even reached the shocking moment where they sacked former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag in September because things were simply falling apart. At that point, many fans believed Leverkusen were finished, gone, hopeless. But football is crazy because everything changed after that. Leverkusen improved faster than anyone expected. They found their rhythm again. They found their confidence again. They won six of their last seven Bundesliga games, and suddenly a team that was almost sleeping at the start of the season was now awake, breathing, believing. They also won their first Champions League match recently against Benfica, a moment that felt like fresh life in their European campaign, even though they were still hurting from the 7–2 humiliation they suffered against Paris Saint-Germain two weeks before. They were a team full of chaos, pain, and revenge, and a team like that is dangerous because they enter every match with nothing to lose.

The City squad news brought a mixture of emotions. Mateo Kovacic was out until February. Rodri, the midfield king who holds everything together, was still sidelined. Kalvin Phillips didn’t train on Monday and his absence raised even more questions. It was the type of situation where Pep Guardiola was forced to look deeper into the academy, and that is how Jaden Heskey and Jadel Katongo stepped into the first-team training at the City Football Academy, standing side by side with the stars of Europe, preparing for a night that could change everything for them. Imagine being young and suddenly Pep Guardiola looks at you and says yes, we need you, we trust you. Those moments can shape an entire career.

Everything was building, everything was rising, everything was growing inside the hearts of Manchester City supporters. They were still recovering emotionally from that painful night in Tyneside when they lost to Newcastle in a match that still felt like a nightmare. But the beauty of football is that redemption always waits around the corner. And tonight could be redemption. Tonight could be healing. Tonight could be the night Guardiola’s men reminded everyone that Manchester City never stay down for long.

Ross Jackson opened the day’s coverage with a message that truly captured the atmosphere. “Hello and welcome,” he wrote. But those three words felt like an invitation into a storm. The Champions League clash was not just another match on the calendar; it was a test of courage and mentality. Guardiola wanted to make it three wins from three Champions League home games this season, and nothing short of victory was acceptable. That was the mentality. That was the ambition. That was the standard.

As more updates came in, the picture grew deeper and more emotional. Leverkusen, even though they improved recently, were still unpredictable. One week they looked unstoppable, the next week they were destroyed. A team like that was dangerous because you could never know which version would show up. Would it be the Leverkusen that crushed Bundesliga opponents in recent weeks? Or the shaky Leverkusen that collapsed 7–2 in Paris? No one knew. But Manchester City were preparing for the strongest version possible, because Guardiola never underestimated opponents.

Inside the dressing room, the emotions were different. Some players were quiet. Some players were smiling. Some players were walking around with headphones in their ears, blocking the noise of the world, focusing on what was coming. Some were staring at the green grass outside, visualizing their goals before they scored them. Football is not only physical; it is mental. On Champions League nights, players step into a different dimension.

Erling Haaland was stretching with that calm expression on his face that only killers have. Phil Foden was bouncing with energy because he loves big nights at the Etihad. Bernardo Silva, always elegant, always composed, looked like an artist preparing for another masterpiece. João Cancelo walked like a man with creativity running through his veins. Rúben Dias was fired up, eyes sharp, shoulders strong, ready to defend the badge with every breath. And you could almost feel Kevin De Bruyne’s energy even if he was not playing. His presence never fades in Manchester.

The fans outside the stadium were talking, shouting, debating loudly. They remembered every moment of this Champions League journey. They remembered Real Madrid. They remembered Inter Milan. They remembered Istanbul. They remembered heartbreaks, they remembered victories, they remembered everything. And now they wanted another European chapter. They wanted another knockout run. They wanted another dream.

As the hours moved and kickoff approached, journalists started giving more updates. Guardiola might have to use academy players on the bench. Some fans were worried. Some were excited. Because sometimes, Champions League nights become the birth of legends. Some players become household names because of one moment. One goal. One decision by a coach.

Leverkusen meanwhile had nothing to fear because no one expected them to win. And that type of freedom is dangerous. A team with no pressure can play like wounded tigers. And that is exactly the challenge City must overcome tonight.

When the stadium began filling, the energy increased. Children wearing sky-blue shirts sat with their fathers and mothers. Teenagers took pictures near the tunnel, screaming when the players passed. Elderly fans clapped gently with emotional eyes because they had watched this club from the beginning, before it became the global force it is now. They watched City become giants, step by step, year by year, game by game. And nights like this always reminded them of the journey.

Guardiola walked out during warm-ups. The crowd erupted. He waved politely, but deep inside, everyone knew his mind was already planning the first pass, the first press, the first adjustment. He is a man who breathes football and lives inside the rhythm of the ball.

As kickoff got closer, you could almost smell destiny in the air. The Champions League anthem would soon play. The cameras would soon rise. The whole world would soon watch the Etihad Stadium again. Every touch, every pass, every shot, every tackle would be recorded in history.

Manchester City were not just playing for three points. They were playing for confidence. They were playing for pride. They were playing for Europe. They were playing for the story of this season.

Leverkusen were not just playing to survive. They were playing to shock the world. They were playing to change the narrative. They were playing to prove that even after humiliation, the heart of a football club can still beat loudly.

As the players stood in the tunnel, everything went silent for a second. The fire of competition was burning inside every chest. One match. Ninety minutes. Eleven warriors on each side. Millions watching.

Champions League football had arrived again in Manchester.

And tonight, everything was on the line