Different competition, different country, same problem. Give Newcastle a lead and they will surrender territory, possession and, with it, their winning position. Why is being in front such an ordeal?
They were just two minutes from the end of normal time when Sandro Tonali failed to track Alejandro Grimaldo and he ran free to fire under Aaron Ramsdale.
The frustration for Eddie Howe was that his side had fought back from falling behind to all but guarantee their Champions League progression. Now, they will need at least one more point from games against PSV and PSG.
It was a fortnight ago in Marseille that Newcastle turned victory into defeat on the back of a goalkeeping howler. This time, they looked set to profit from such a brain fade.
Trailing early in the second half and headed for a loss that would have left them nervously close to the qualification cut-off, they were gifted the chance of an equaliser by former Brentford stopper Mark Flekken, a generosity in keeping with the Christmas markets that illuminate this otherwise grey west German outpost.
Nick Woltemade had attempted to press Leverkusen all night but had not pushed any buttons, which is probably why Flekken thought he had an age to pick a pass downfield.
Alejandro Grimaldo scored a late equaliser to snatch a point for Bayer Leverkusen
Newcastle again contrived to throw away their winning position on a frustrating night
Eddie Howe’s side will need at least one more point from games against PSV and PSG
He was still calculating his next move when the play clock expired and Woltemade nicked the ball, forcing Flekken into a panicked tug at the cost of a penalty. Anthony Gordon converted from the spot for the third successive game.
It was in Marseille that Nick Pope’s error in rushing from his goal unsettled Newcastle and led to defeat from a winning position – and so Leverkusen were spooked by Flekken’s indiscretion.
The visitors went in search of a winner and thought they had it when Gordon crossed for substitute Lewis Miley to head home in the 74th minute. It was a deserved first Champions League goal for the teenager, for his introduction on the hour had given Newcastle a control and composure lacking to that point.
There was a lot of pre-match attention on Newcastle’s Germany internationals, Woltemade and Malick Thiaw, and the locals would have enjoyed their first-half offering, so out of sorts were they. Rather than shine, they looked in need of a dark hiding place.
Woltemade had touched the ball only 10 times by the break, and one of those was a scruffy poke wide from three yards. Too often he lost possession.
Thiaw’s problem, meanwhile, was losing his man, such as the moment in the 22nd minute when he tried to get back on terms with Patrick Schick and clipped the striker entering the area.
It looked like a penalty and red card, so Thiaw was fortunate to escape with a yellow and the award of a free-kick.
The latter was fair, given replays showed the foul was half a stride outside the box, but in taking out a player clean through on goal it should have been a sending-off.
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Anthony Gordon scored from the spot to continue his recent form with penalties
Lewis Miley netted the second for Newcastle with this header at BayArena
By this point Newcastle were already behind and it was another set-piece concession. For all of their efforts in making gains from deadballs – a specialist coach was hired in the summer – they have regressed, at both ends of the pitch.
Leverkusen were already knocking at the door when, in the 13th minute, Newcastle duly invited them in.
Aleix Garcia’s deep corner was met by the head of Robert Andrich and his effort deflected in off Bruno Guimaraes.
Both Tonali, Andrich’s supposed marker, and Guimaraes had turned their back on the ball, much to the fury of Dan Burn, who appeared to remonstrate with the pair.
Newcastle were just too slow in attack, and they weren’t winning many foot races in defence, either.
Former Liverpool defender Jarell Quansah skipping unmarked into the area in first-half stoppage-time and seeing a shot brushed over by Aaron Ramsdale served as a vignette of how lethargic the visitors had been.
The concern for Howe would have been that, in picking his strongest XI, he wanted to generate momentum and rhythm heading into Sunday’s derby against Sunderland.
At least the second half saw a recalibration of sorts, even if they did malfunction right at the death.