Newcastle United faced another setback in their Champions League ambitions, settling for a 2-2 draw against Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday night. The fixture at the BayArena further exposed the team’s fury to avoid death, especially failing to kill matches. With this result, Newcastle is now the team that has lost the most points from winning positions this season in the Premier League. This increasingly concerning pattern seemed to follow them into European competitions as well.
The visitors started the game brightly, inspired by a record-breaking opening goal from Lewis Miley. At only 19 years old, Miley made an incredible achievement. His second-half header, which made him Newcastle’s youngest ever Champions League goalscorer, gave his side a historic lead. This turnaround looked like it would lead to an emotional victory, but Alex Grimaldo’s last-minute equalizer ended Newcastle’s chances.
Ongoing Challenges for Newcastle
Still, on an individual basis, Newcastle’s collective inability to hold on to leads has become a theme that cannot be overlooked. It has been their Achilles’ heel throughout the Premier League this season. They’ve been in bad form too, especially in Champions League matches where they are the third worst team in losing points after taking the lead. Just three teams on record have performed worse than Newcastle in this metric.
Those worrying figures paint a dire picture for the Magpies. Among Premier League clubs, only Burnley has conceded more goals in the final five minutes of matches than Newcastle this season. Though perhaps somewhat cruelly, this late-game vulnerability heaps further pressure on manager Eddie Howe and his talented squad.
“It’s happened too many times to be honest,” – Anthony Gordon
Gordon was pivotal to The Magpies success against Leverkusen, netting a goal and an assist. He showed no patience for how often his team has blown leads en route to losses.
Upcoming Fixtures and Opportunities
Newcastle have two very important Champions League tie’s left this January. They’re due to play PSV Eindhoven at St James’ Park on January 21. After that, they face a very difficult away match at the current holders, Paris Saint-Germain, on the 28th. These matches will be crucial as the squad aims to make their mark on European competition and up their level of play.
Eddie Howe remains hopeful despite recent disappointments. He was unhappy at the break during last weekend’s win over Bayer Leverkusen but avoided admonishing his players’ collective effort.
“I don’t know at this minute in time,” – Eddie Howe
This uncertainty is illustrative of the peculiarities involved in directing a talented, but stressed organization, particularly when the product on the field is going awry.
Match Highlights and Key Performances
It was a thrilling encounter full of exquisite individual displays, most notably by 17-year-old midfielder Lewis Miley and summer signing Anthony Gordon. After conceding an early goal, Newcastle rallied back with Miley’s historic equalizer and Gordon’s subsequent score that briefly gave them hope for a comeback victory.
Gordon was soon ruing what might have been after seeing a one-on-one effort cannon off the post as he searched for a second goal. For all of Newcastle’s endeavor, attacking threat and attacking attitude, they didn’t turn enough of those chances into effective goal commitment. A brilliant save from Leverkusen’s goalkeeper, Mark Flekken, robbed Newcastle of a third goal only moments before the final whistle sounded.
With both sides trading blows throughout the second half, Grimaldo’s late equalizer served as a stark reminder of Newcastle’s defensive frailties. Newcastle came into the match full of optimism. Surprisingly, though, they increased their power-sharing agreements— haiku —having stolen the initial yellowjackets’ venom.
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