Guardiola brings up 100 Champions League games as City seek 14th home win vs German sides
Barcelona revisit Chelsea as both sit mid-table in Swiss standings and fight off playoff danger
Ajax vs Benfica pits No.36 against No.35 as both former champions hunt first points of campaign
Pep Guardiola will lead Manchester City in his 100th UEFA Champions League game on Tuesday, November 25, as the reigning English Premier League champions host Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen. City are chasing a 14th straight home win over German opposition – a run dating back before Guardiola arrived in 2016.
The Spanish manager has now doubled his European tally: 50 matches at FC Barcelona, where he won two Champions League titles, and 36 at Bayern Munich, each campaign ending in the semifinals. Under him, City have won one UCL title and lost the 2021 final to Chelsea.
Ahead of the all-important clash, Guardiola said that making the Champions League “part of Manchester City’s DNA” has been a source of pride for the 54-year-old head coach.
Barcelona Revisit Stamford Bridge To Face Chelsea
Also on Tuesday, Barcelona travel to Chelsea, revisiting Stamford Bridge where, back in 2009 during Guardiola’s first season in charge, they famously advanced to the final, helped by some dubious calls from the referee.
In the current Swiss-format group league, Chelsea sit 12th and Barcelona 11th, both battling to avoid the qualifying playoff spot as the competition hits its midway point.
Other Champions League Matchday 5 Fixtures
It’s No. 36 versus No. 35 in the early kickoffs as Ajax host Benfica, where at least one of these former European champions will aim to earn their first point of the campaign.
Meanwhile, Turkish giants Galatasaray, without injured top scorer Victor Osimhen, play Belgian Pro League table-toppers Union Saint-Gilloise in another early game.
In other Tuesday fixtures: Juventus make the long trip north to face Bodo/Glimt in the Arctic Circle, where freezing conditions await. Elsewhere, Borussia Dortmund face Villarreal, Marseille host Newcastle United, Napoli take on Qarabag, and Slavia Prague meet Athletic Bilbao.
(With AP Inputs)
