Bayer Leverkusen gets a morale point against Newcastle United and Nick Woltemade. The head coach is missing.
Nick Woltemade warmed his DFB friend Robert Andrich, the Bayer professionals crept off the pitch exhausted but satisfied: Bayer Leverkusen saved a point at the last minute in the Champions League without head coach Kasper Hjulmand against Woltemade’s Newcastle United.
The Werkself, who had to do without Hjulmand for personal reasons, managed a 2-2 (1-0) draw against the Premier League club thanks to a late goal from Alejandro Grimaldo (88th) – and therefore still have a good chance of reaching the knockout phase.
Flekken makes a bad mistake
“It was a really good game for us for a long time,” said Andrich on “DAZN”: “We had a sleepy phase, got an unnecessary penalty. Then all of a sudden it was 1:2. You could already tell that we were running out of breath. And yet I’m very, very happy that we got at least one point.”
An own goal from Bruno Guimaraes (13th) gave Leverkusen the lead two weeks after the surprise coup at Manchester City (2-0). Anthony Gordon (51st/penalty) and Lewis Miley (74th) turned the game in favor of the Magpies – then Grimaldo scored.
Woltemade stole the ball from Bayer goalkeeper Mark Flekken before the score was 1-1 and won Gordon’s penalty. Otherwise, the 23-year-old remained pale in his first Champions League game on German soil.
With nine points, Bayer has progress in their own hands; in the new year, the German runner-up still has to play at Olympiacos Piraeus and against FC Villarreal. Newcastle have ten points on their account.
The Werkself went into the groundbreaking game with difficult circumstances. Around 90 minutes before kick-off, the factory club announced Hjulmand’s absence for personal reasons, assistant coach Rogier Meijer took over for his boss – and saw how his team found its way into the game better and better after a hesitant start.
Bayer Leverkusen shows morals
After a corner, Andrich headed at Bruno Guimaraes, from whose back the ball jumped over the line to take the lead. The Werkself, who were able to rely on the recently ailing creative player Grimaldo, were compact as a result; Woltemade was initially withdrawn.
Bayer remained dangerous offensively and had a great chance to make it 2-0: German international Malick Thiaw fouled Patrik Schick just outside the edge of the penalty area, but Grimaldo put the free kick over the goal from the best position (24th). The hosts held on, Ibrahim Maza completed a counterattack too centrally (28′).
The Magpies, twelfth in the Premier League, woke up and pushed Bayer deep into their own half. Flekken prevented an own goal from Aleix Garcia (36th). The German runner-up broke free again shortly before the break: the advanced Jarell Quansah (45th + 1) failed with a powerful finish to Aaron Ramsdale.
The Leverkusen team then invited the guests to equalize after the break: Flekken held the ball at his feet for too long and easily hit ball thief Woltemade from behind. Gordon stayed cool from the point. As a result, an open game developed, Gordon hit the post with a left-footed shot (62′). On the other hand, Ernest Poku missed (69′). Then Joker hit Miley after a cross, but Bayer hit back again.