Newcastle United were held to a draw in a must-win Champions League match away to German side Bayer Leverkusen. The Magpies initially came...
Newcastle United were held to a draw in a must-win Champions League match away to German side Bayer Leverkusen.
The Magpies initially came from a goal behind, only to lose their lead late on, meaning they are still two points outside of the top eight who automatically qualify.
It was a disastrous start for Eddie Howe's side. They went 1-0 down just 13 minutes into the game, a goal which frustratingly came from a Bruno Guimaraes own goal. It’s hard to blame their captain, though, with the ball being headed against his back when he wasn’t looking.
It took until the second half before the Premier League outfit could equalise. Anthony Gordon stepped up to score a penalty for the third game in a row, and with 15 minutes to go, they had a lead.
Homegrown star Lewis Miley made a darting run into the penalty box and headed home a cross from Gordon.
However, the North East side were not able to hold on for a huge three points in Germany. A lovely move from Leverkusen saw skipper Alejandro Grimaldo ghost into the penalty box and slot home to equalise in the 88th minute.
It was a tough night, with Sandro Tonali one player who struggled.
Tonali’s stats against Leverkusen
Normally the player Howe can rely on to keep things ticking along in midfield, it was a surprisingly poor night at the office for Tonali against the German side, who struggled to get a grip on the game.
The Magpies were certainly at full strength in the middle of the park, with Tonali playing next to Guimaraes.
However, the Italian, normally so fluid in possession, couldn’t get a grip on the game, and even slipped, which let Bayer exploit his side on the counterattack at one stage.
Indeed, his stats from the game show just how tough it was for the Italian against the Bundesliga outfit. He only had an 88% pass accuracy and lost the ball eight times, as per Sofascore, winning just three out of seven ground duels.
The Italian was even blamed by journalist Luke Edwards for his part in the second goal. Tonali allowed Grimaldo to shake him off and then run past him, failing to track the Spaniard into the penalty area.
Edwards said he was “really poor” on the night.
However, the midfielder was perhaps not their worst player.
Newcastle’s most disappointing player in Leverkusen
It was a tough evening back in his home nation, Germany, for centre-back Malick Thiaw. The former AC Milan star was “lucky not to be sent off”, according to journalist Craig Hope, after committing a foul on the edge of the penalty box.
That was a mistake picked up by Tom Bellwood, a writer for Goal. He gave the 24-year-old a 6/10 for his efforts, while also noting that he was fortunate to be in the pitch, which was certainly the consensus about his risky challenge.
Granted, Thiaw’s numbers from his performance against Leverkusen are not terrible, but there are some which stand out.
He only managed to win five out of his eight attempted duels, lost the ball three times and committed that foul on Patrick Schick.
Thiaw vs. Leverkusen | |
|---|---|
Stat | Number |
Touches | 65 |
Passes completed | 40/43 |
Ground duels won | 3/5 |
Aerial duels won | 2/3 |
Number of times ball lost | 3 |
Fouls | 1 |
Stats from Sofascore | |
The German defender has been excellent for the Magpies this season. He’s started ten Premier League games in a row and has looked like "one of the best signings of the summer".
Yet, the performance away to Leverkusen was arguably his worst so far in that famous Black and White shirt. He was, of course, part of the defence which allowed Grimaldo to slip through unmarked and score, and was rash with his challenge on the edge of the box.
It was a night to forget for a man who has generally been excellent so far in his short Magpies career.
This will surely be nothing more than a blip, with Thiaw, who earns £75k-per-week, hoping to get back on track this weekend in the derby against Sunderland.
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