Bayer Leverkusen 2-2 Newcastle: Eddie Howe's side denied huge win as Alex Grimaldo scores late equaliser in Champions League
Report as Bayer Leverkusen deny Newcastle a comeback through a late Alex Grimaldo dagger; Leverkusen took the lead before Anthony Gordon and Lewis Miley thought they had secured victory
Thursday 11 December 2025 06:46, UK
Alex Grimaldo netted late on to deny Newcastle a Champions League comeback victory at Bayer Leverkusen in a 2-2 draw at the BayArena.
Newcastle thought they had earned the perfect smash-and-grab turnaround when Lewis Miley made history for his boyhood club, becoming their youngest Champions League goalscorer at 19 with a second-half header.
Miley's goal, perfectly set up by the scorer of Newcastle's second-half leveller, Anthony Gordon, promised to bring Newcastle's away-day woes to an end but an impressive Leverkusen had different ideas.
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After leading before losing last time out in Marseille, Gordon bemoaned how prone Newcastle are to conceding late.
"It's happened too many times to be honest," Gordon said after the game, speaking to TNT Sports.
"I actually don't know [why they are letting in so many late goals], I don't know if it's fatigue with all the games coming up, we're getting a bit tired late on in games, I'm not too sure, but I think it all comes back to mentality."
Off the back of beating Manchester City comprehensively in the last round of fixtures, the Bundesliga side eyed another English scalp when they took the lead in the 13th minute. Robert Andrich's header was deflected into his own net by Newcastle skipper Bruno Guimaraes.
Leverkusen were nearly gifted an opportunity for a second when Malick Thiaw brought down Patrick Schick just outside the area. VAR intervened to check whether the challenge merited a red card for denying a goalscoring opportunity; however, the original yellow card decision stood.
As they got away with one at the other end, in the second half, Newcastle couldn't believe their luck when Mark Flekken's reluctance on the ball resulted in him bringing down an enthusiastic Nick Woltemade in the box. Gordon stepped up, sending the former Brentford keeper the wrong way with his fifth Champions League goal of the campaign.
Newcastle then enjoyed their best spell with Gordon hitting the post in search of a second. Miley, off the bench, then found what Newcastle needed to improve their bid for a top-eight finish.
But Grimaldo had different ideas, firing past an onrushing Aaron Ramsdale to level proceedings in the 88th minute. Newcastle chased a third but Flekken's later stop to keep out Thiaw meant that Howe's side had to settle for a point.
Howe's team have two more Champions League games left in January to try and move into the top eight, with Eredivisie champions PSV Eindhoven at St James' Park on January 21, before they finish their league campaign with a daunting trip to holders Paris Saint-Germain on January 28.
Howe: There seemed a real lack of belief that we could score
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe on TNT Sports:
"It was a tough game. I thought we played well. I thought the third goal was coming. Malick's missed a good chance, the goalkeeper made a good save.
"So it was tough for us again. I thought we defended well. They've scored at the end.
"I don't know at this minute in time [why they are conceding so many late goals]. Goals are events that happen in games and we haven't defended the two well enough today, regardless of timing.
"The first one's a disappointment for us. Set plays made our night very difficult. From there, we've navigated it really well. And the second one, for me, I need to see it again, but it seemed like it was too easy for them to go through the middle of our defence. So we need to look at it.
"I wasn't happy at half-time, not so much necessarily with the performance. I thought the performance was OK. But there seemed a real lack of belief that we could score. You have to make things happen. You have to really believe internally that you've got the quality, which I believe we have.
"And certainly off the ball as well, I felt we were getting close to them, but not that final yard. And I thought we did both much better in that second half."
