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Last Season
SJP
Unlikely Lads
Bayer Leverkusen (Germany) (h) VisitMalta Weekender Day 1
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Date: Saturday 15th August 2026, 3pm Venue: St.James' Park Admission: £40/£50 weekend ticket £30/£25 daily (£60 daily family ticket, 2 adults +2 concessions) Programme: £3.50 covering both days
Conditions: Indistinct |
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Newcastle |
Bayer Leverkusen |
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1 - 2 |
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| Half time: | 1 - 1 | |
| Score Sheet: | ||
 (44)
Thiaw |
Maza
(1)
Boniface (82)
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Teams |
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Hornicek M.Miley Hall Botman Thiaw Steur L.Miley Barnes Elanga Woltemade Wissa |
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Flekken Vazquez Tapsoba Bade Gutierrez Garcia Fernandez Tillman Maza Moreira Kofane |
| Substitutes: | ||
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(46) Finneran for L.Miley (80) Pivas for M.Miley (86) Neave for Woltemade |
Tape for Vazquez
(46) Schick for Kofane (46) Terrier for Fernandez (70) Doganay for Tillman (70) Belocian for Gutierrez (70) Moreira for Tella (80) Boniface for Maza (80) |
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| Subs not used: | ||
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Harris Charlton Sanusi Johnson |
Blaswich Lomb Hofmann Oermann Poku Arthur Alfa-Ruprecht Hawighorst |
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| Bookings: | ||
| None | tbc | |
| Dismissals: | ||
| None |
None
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Referee: Michael Oliver
- unable to officiate United in competitive games due to his Toon allegiance. VAR: n/a |
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Attendance: 39,059 including around 40 travelling fans, who were allocated a
section of the North East corner, as the entire Level 7 remained closed.
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Goals |
1 min Ibrahim Maza shot. 0-1
44 mins Anthony
Elanga's corner from the United left was met by Malick Thaiw towards
the back post and he headed down and into the Leazes End net. 1-1
Half time: Newcastle 1 Bayer 1
82 mins
Victor Boniface shot. 1-2
Full time: Newcastle 1 Bayer 2
We Said |
Matthais Jaissle:
On the team selection:
"We
needed to split. First of all, because it doesn’t make sense that
the the lads play two games in a row.
The most important thing now in the last friendlies that you see
everyone over 90 minutes and there are different approaches.
"Some of them, they could use one more training day, especially the guys who returned later or came back from an injury. So there are many aspects to consider, and again, it has nothing to do with a starting eleven or not.”
On the home shirt change:
"Honestly, I was a bit surprised
when the kick-off was done because it was so, so close to each
other, the two shirts.
"It was then smart to use the first break, the hydration break, to
change it because probably as well from the stands, from your
perspective (the media), it was not easy to distinguish
between the two teams.”
On transfers:
"As I mentioned in the press conference previously, and also in
interviews, that club knows exactly the needs, and this is here is
not the right place to talk about the positions and names.
"Everyone is involved in the club, in the management and there will
be some changes
(to the squad) for sure.
It's important that there will be something done in the transfer
market. I think everyone is aligned on that."
On Mason Miley having to come off with cramp:
"This is the attitude we need. Really suffering until the tank is
empty."
On his first home game:
"I was so happy to see the atmosphere right now so I can't even
imagine what it will look like against Liverpool when the stadium is
full and we get the whole support.
"That will be the message. We need to stick together. With these
challenges now, this transitional moment, we need the fans together
with the players and the staff."
They Said |
Carles Martinez Novell - installed last month -
said:
"Of course I'm happy when thinking about pre-season.
"I'm watching different things that I've bought to the team; not only
football things, but energy connections, hunger, timing this is the most
important now. We try to create our environment
(in order) to be competitive.
"Today of course in some minutes also we suffer, because it's football of
maximum level against a top team like Newcastle but the team was competing
and fighting, this is something important.
"(It's) not only about physicality it's about knowing our standards
and these standards are clear and now is our moment to show it. This stadium
feels real, it felt like an official game and the players connected, which
helped a lot."
Although in the squad, England international defender Jarell Quansah and
Argentinean international defender Exequiel Palacios didn't feature, amid
transfer interest from Arsenal and Ipswich Town respectively. New signing
Facundo Medina - another Argentinean international - was also omitted.
Stats |
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2026/27 Bayer 04 Leverkusen
lost 1-2 Pre-season pitch time (in minutes): Bamba 0+0+0+45+45+0=90 Barnes 45+77+90+45+45+90=392 +2 goals Botman 45+0+90+90+45+90=360 Charlton 45+8+1+23+45+0=122 Craggs 45+0+0+0+0+0=45 Elanga 0+0+74+39+45+90=248 Ferreira 0+21+16+0+0+0=37 Finneran 45+0+0+0+0+45=90 Gillespie 0+0+0+0+0+0=0 Hall 45+82+90+0+45+90=352 Harris 0+0+0+0+0+0=0 Hornicek 0+0+0+90+90+90=270 Jaouen 45+21+45+0+0+0=111 Joelinton 0+0+0+67+45+0=112 Johnson 0+0+0+18+45+0=63 L.Miley 0+0+0+0+0+45=45 M.Miley 45+21+1+45+45+80=237 Munda 45+8+0+0+0+0=53 A.Murphy 45+90+20+0+0+0=155 J.Murphy 45+77+82+51+45+0=300 Neave 45+69+56+0+0+4=175 +1 goal Osula 45+0+0+45+45+0=135 +1 goal Pivas 45+30+0+67+45+10=197 Pope 45+69+45+0+0+0=160 Ramsey 45+82+90+67+45+0=329 Salia 45+8+0+0+0+0=53 Sanusi 45+13+0+0+0+0=58 Schar 0+60+20+0+0+0=80 Seung-soo 45+13+34+0+0+0=92 Shahar 45+69+8+45+45+0=213 Steur 45+90+90+45+45+90=405 Thiaw 0+0+0+45+45+90=207 +1 goal Toure 0+0+0+45+45+0=90 Willock 45+82+90+23+45+0=285 +1 goal Wissa 0+0+0+45+45+90=180 +2 goals Woltemade 0+0+0+45+45+86=198 |
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Waffle |
For a manager billed as a rock star by
his new employers, there's a certain irony that Matthias Jaissle's
first home date as Newcastle boss will be remembered for the Clash.
Rather than Jones or Strummer though, it was a mismatch of strips
that made the headlines here; Newcastle forced to discard their home
shirts in favour of the lilac change one after 25 minutes.
That was needed to correct a colour clash
between the all white reverse of
the home kit and the white on the back of Leverkusen's change strip:
something that seemed obvious before the start inside the ground and
via the live stream but wasn't resolved until the first hydration
break.
Thoughts that United's laboured start and unimpressive passing game
were due to an identity crisis proved incorrect however, as the
lighter strips failed to inspire their wearers - although only
bringing a marginal improvement in visibility. Maybe they should
have donned the blue kit change instead.
Behind immediately at a subdued St.James' Park, the hosts did level
before the break but fell behind again in the closing stages,
failing to find the late leveller to force penalties. That left last
season's Champions League foes to lift the VisitMalta Weekender Cup,
similar to the previous SELA Cup.
Searching for positives from today is tough; a strong
line-up looking decidedly weak and finding their feet when
Ibrahim Maza's shot from the edge of the box beat
Lukas Hornicek after 47 seconds.
The Algerian international was given far too much time to line up
his effort and there looked to be a deflection en route to goal, but
it was a regrettable start for Hornicek and his new colleagues.
The Magpies came close to equalising when right back Mason Miley found space
and chipped the ball to Yoane Wissa whose couldn't direct a volley
past his former Brentford colleague, Mark Flekken.
Wissa then played in Harvey Barnes but his cross from the left was
intercepted by Flekken, beaten in all three of his previous visits
to Tyneside with the Bees.
With a minute left of the first period Anthony Elanga's left wing
corner was nodded back across goal from the far post by captain Malick Thiaw,
dropping inside the upright. That was a rare moment that inspired a modest cheer,
the players leaving the field soon after to some polite applause.
Lewis Miley's first involvement of pre-season ended at that point,
prompting the introduction of Rory Finneran; the young midfielder's mistake
quickly corrected with a crisp tackle.
Wissa broke forward in the 57th minute and played in Nick Woltemade
but a tame shot from the German was easily saved - an ineffectual
contribution indicative of his day.
The visitors made a series of substitutions and came to dominate possession,
inevitably regaining the lead when Victor Boniface waltzed into the
box and tucked the ball in with concerning ease.
Sean Neave was introduced in the 86th minute and caused some
problems, but it was Barnes who missed United's best chance, volleying over from close range in the
final minute.
Hornicek then saved from Patrik Schick in added time while a late
free-kick was easily collected at the other end before Oliver blew for
full-time.
The ground emptied quickly as Bayer received their trinket, home
fans and coaching staff turning their
thoughts to Sunday's meeting with Strasbourg and the looming visit of Liverpool in eight days.
Rather than the old "more minutes in the legs" adage, the Howe-era
habit of concluding pre-season with games on successive days
served to highlight the lack of choice in key positions at present.
The predicted arrival of right back Amar Dedic from Benfica at least adds
some experience at right back, where the unproven duo Mason Miley and
Leo Shahar are currently in the frame as both Lewis Miley and Tino
Livramento strive for fitness.
As for the rest, Jaissle is discovering what many present here today
were only too aware of already; that we're at best half-cooked and
currently lacking the key ingredients for survival, never mind
success.
Niall MacKenzie