Newcastle United's late comeback bid was thwarted by Bayer Leverkusen thanks to a stunning stoppage-time strike from Alejandro Grimaldo, as the German side secured a deserved 2-1 win at Tyneside.
Alejandro Grimaldo's equaliser in the 88th minute sparked wild celebrations among Leverkusen fans, who had been frustrated for most of the evening by their team's inability to create clear-cut chances. However, it was Newcastle who initially took the lead through Lewis Miley, who headed home Anthony Gordon's cross.
Despite trailing at halftime, Newcastle pushed hard for an equaliser in the second period and were rewarded when Mark Flekken made a costly mistake in the 85th minute, allowing Gordon to score from the penalty spot. However, it was Grimaldo who had the final say, as he slotted home a free-kick in stoppage time after a video assistant referee review had initially resulted in a penalty being awarded to Newcastle.
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe was left frustrated by his team's inability to defend effectively and their vulnerability to set pieces. "We gave ourselves a mountain to climb," he said, but also praised his players for their determination. Despite the loss, Newcastle remain well-positioned to progress to the knockout phase of the Champions League, although their route may now be via the playoffs.
The defeat raises questions about whether Sandro Tonali should continue in central midfield and whether Lewis Miley is ready to take over at the Stadium of Light against Sunderland. For now, Howe will focus on addressing his team's defensive woes ahead of Sunday's Tyne-Wear derby.
Alejandro Grimaldo's equaliser in the 88th minute sparked wild celebrations among Leverkusen fans, who had been frustrated for most of the evening by their team's inability to create clear-cut chances. However, it was Newcastle who initially took the lead through Lewis Miley, who headed home Anthony Gordon's cross.
Despite trailing at halftime, Newcastle pushed hard for an equaliser in the second period and were rewarded when Mark Flekken made a costly mistake in the 85th minute, allowing Gordon to score from the penalty spot. However, it was Grimaldo who had the final say, as he slotted home a free-kick in stoppage time after a video assistant referee review had initially resulted in a penalty being awarded to Newcastle.
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe was left frustrated by his team's inability to defend effectively and their vulnerability to set pieces. "We gave ourselves a mountain to climb," he said, but also praised his players for their determination. Despite the loss, Newcastle remain well-positioned to progress to the knockout phase of the Champions League, although their route may now be via the playoffs.
The defeat raises questions about whether Sandro Tonali should continue in central midfield and whether Lewis Miley is ready to take over at the Stadium of Light against Sunderland. For now, Howe will focus on addressing his team's defensive woes ahead of Sunday's Tyne-Wear derby.
I'm tellin' ya, this game was a real nail-biter! 
I mean, Newcastle were on fire when Lewis Miley headed that one in, but then they just kinda... fell apart 
. Bayer Leverkusen deserved the win, no question. Alejandro Grimaldo's equaliser was mental 
and that free-kick in stoppage time was like a dagger to the heart 
.
. The defense is like, woohoo 
no one wants those kinds of mistakes! But for real though, they're still in a good spot and they'll bounce back from this one. And man, that Tyne-Wear derby's gonna be 
can't wait to see what happens next 
alejandro grimaldo is like a superhero 
with that stoppage time strike. i feel bad for newcastle though, they were so close to getting the win 
. eddie howe's comments made sense tho, they gotta work on their defense ASAP 
. but honestly, leicester and man city are still looking shaky, so this 2-1 loss isn't the end of the world 
newcastle's got a good shot at making the playoffs now 
those german guys deserved that win though grimaldo is a beast 
and tonali needs to step up his game if sandro can't handle the midfield it'll be like 3rd man down every time 
gotta work on that defense ASAP 
! Grimaldo's free-kick at the end was straight fire tho 
️. eddie howe should be so frustrated, but on the bright side, newcastle is still in the mix for the playoffs 
. i think sandro tonali needs to step up his game in central midfield and lewis miley needs some more experience before he takes over from gordon 
. but overall, this was a crazy match and i loved every minute of it! 
. Can't wait for Sunday's Tyne-Wear derby, though! 
. but man, newcastle's defense is just a mess atm 
eddie howe needs to sort that out ASAP or they'll be struggling to make it past the playoffs 
. Can't even get a decent live thread going without it crashing or freezing. So frustrating! 
Their defense just fell apart when it mattered most. Lewis Miley's goal was nice and all, but then they conceded on a penalty... what were they thinking?! 
It was a disappointing loss for Newcastle United, but they can't be too disheartened as they still have a good chance of making it to the knockout phase of the Champions League. The question now remains if they can sort out their defense and secure those crucial wins against Sunderland and the rest of their playoffs journey.
I love how Grimaldo just slotted it in after the VAR review - what a finish! 
The Tyne-Wear derby is gonna be lit next weekend - gotta see how they handle that one! 
. Alejandro Grimaldo is a total boss though, what a strike in the stoppage time! 
. And Newcastle fans shouldn't lose hope just yet - they're still in the Champions League mix, so fingers crossed! 
. also lewis miley's performance was decent but we cant have him just sitting there not doing anything 
they were so close to coming back from behind but that free kick in stoppage time was just brutal 
. And Miley does seem to be growing into his role at Newcastle but this loss might have been too much for him