Grimaldo’s late show takes spotlight away from Newcastle

Eighty-eight minutes had passed and Newcastle fans were already in party mode when Alejandro Grimaldo collected Ibrahim Maza’s pass and concluded a move he had initiated courtesy of a glorious run and dummy.

- Louise Taylor

As the Spain left wing back’s shot slid beneath Aaron Ramsdale’s body and his Bayer Leverkusen teammates celebrated an arguably deserved equaliser, North Rhine-Westphalia suddenly felt a much colder place for Eddie Howe’s players.

At the end of a night on which their fragility at dead balls resurfaced yet again and they struggled to contain Grimaldo in particular, Newcastle have work to do if they are to extend their latest Champions League adventure into next spring Any lingering suggestions that Howe might prioritise Sunday’s Tyne-Wear Premier League derby at Sunderland were debunked when he named his strongest available XI.

Newcastle’s manager had been expecting a tactical technical area duel with Kasper Hjulmand but Bayer Leverkusen’s manager was not here, with the Bundesliga club announcing he was absent for personal reasons.

It left Hjulmand’s assistant, Roger Meijer, to take charge of the team currently sitting fourth in Germany’s top tier. Meijer must have been extremely content with a first half characterised by much slick, sharp, passing and movement as his pleasingly fluid side constantly interchanged positions.