Bayer Leverkusen's Youth and Senior Squads Face Dramatic Contrasts in Matches Against Manchester City

On November 25, 2025, Bayer Leverkusen witnessed a stark contrast in performances as their youth and senior teams faced Manchester City on the same day, resulting in a heavy defeat and a memorable victory respectively.

In the UEFA Youth League, Leverkusen's U19 team suffered a crushing 6-0 loss to Manchester City's youth side. Despite a goalless first half and strong efforts under sports director Simon Rolfes, the second half saw Manchester City dominate with six goals. Scorers included Reigan Heskey via penalty, Divine Mukasa with a hat-trick including a penalty, Christian McFarlane, and Floyd Samba. The youth team struggled severely with personnel issues, missing eleven players such as Montrell Culbreath and Ferdinand Pohl, who were needed for the senior Champions League squad. With this defeat, the U19 team holds seven points and a -8 goal difference in the group, making their December 10 clash against Newcastle United critical for advancement prospects.

Conversely, Bayer Leverkusen's senior team delivered an impressive 2-0 victory at Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League, overcoming their own significant personnel crisis with eleven key players sidelined due to injuries. Coach Kasper Hjulmand relied on a makeshift lineup that notably included six U19 players on the bench. Goals came from Grimaldo with a precise left-footed shot in the 23rd minute and a Schick header off a Maza cross in the 54th minute. Goalkeeper Flekken contributed vital saves to maintain a clean sheet against City's offensive threats. Hjulmand praised his squad, stating, "I work with the players who are available, and they have quality." The win ended Manchester City's twelve-match home winning streak against German teams and marked Leverkusen's 50th victory in the Champions League.

Post-match, Hjulmand motivated his players in the locker room, emphasizing the significance of this achievement as the team looks ahead to upcoming fixtures against Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal.

These divergent outcomes underline Leverkusen's challenges and resilience across different team levels in European competitions, showcasing potential for the senior squad's continued success despite hurdles, while highlighting the youth team's urgent need to regroup for the Youth League knockout stage.