Newcastle United vs Bayer Leverkusen: Match details
Newcastle United and Bayer Leverkusen will kick-off on 15 August 2026 at 14:00 GMT (10:00 AM EST / 15:00 BST).
Match preview
Newcastle United host Bundesliga heavyweights Bayer Leverkusen at St. James' Park for a high-profile pre-season friendly as both teams put the finishing touches on their preparations for the upcoming campaign.
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Match context & recent head-to-head
The two teams carry recent competitive history into this summer clash after battling to an entertaining 2-2 draw at the BayArena during the UEFA Champions League group stage in December 2025. That encounter featured rapid transitions, relentless pressing, and high-intensity attacking football from both sides. Re-engaging on Tyneside gives both managers a valuable baseline to measure their tactical sharpness against familiar European quality.
Getty ImagesNewcastle United pre-season journey
Newcastle's summer build-up under Matthias Jaissle began on a positive note in mid-July with a 3-0 victory against Darlington, followed by a 1-1 draw away at Gateshead. The Magpies encountered a setback during their late-July trip to Ashton Gate in a 4-1 defeat to Bristol City, but bounced back strongly on August 8 with an impressive 2-1 away victory over La Liga outfit Valencia. Heading into the weekend after a midweek clash against Everton, Newcastle are looking to refine their setup in front of their home supporters.
Getty ImagesBayer Leverkusen pre-season journey
Bayer Leverkusen enter the fixture following a commanding pre-season run across Germany and Europe under Carles Martínez Novell. The German side opened their summer schedule in dominant fashion by sweeping past Sportfreunde Baumberg 7-0 and Kickers Offenbach 3-1. They maintained their sharp attacking momentum through late July and early August with a 4-0 win against K.R.C. Genk, a 3-0 victory over Rot-Weiss Essen, and a hard-fought 2-1 win over Sevilla. Following a midweek trip to face Nottingham Forest, Leverkusen aim to cap off their English tour with another strong performance before opening their competitive season in the DFB-Pokal.
Getty ImagesTeam news & squads
Newcastle head into the fixture with no confirmed injury or suspension data available at this stage. Anthony Elanga was stretchered off during the pre-season win over Valencia after a serious challenge, and his involvement remains uncertain. Lewis Hall has also returned home from the training camp in Spain, with the club citing a minor fitness issue, though his situation has attracted transfer speculation from Manchester United. No probable starting XI has been confirmed, and updates will be added closer to kick-off.
Leverkusen have also not released official team news ahead of the game. No injuries or suspensions are listed, and no probable lineup has been confirmed. Further squad information will be published as it becomes available.
Form
Newcastle have posted a mixed record across their last five matches, winning two, drawing one, and losing two. Their most recent result was a 2-1 win over Valencia in a pre-season friendly on August 8, a match overshadowed by the Elanga incident. They also suffered a 4-1 defeat to Bristol City in late July and were held 1-1 by Gateshead. Their last competitive outing was a 2-0 Premier League loss to Fulham in May. Across the five matches, Newcastle scored eight goals and conceded seven.
Leverkusen have been in dominant form, winning all five of their pre-season fixtures. They beat Sevilla 2-1 on August 8 and earlier recorded a 4-0 win over Genk and a 7-0 thrashing of Sportfreunde Baumberg. The German side have scored 15 goals across those five games and conceded just one, keeping three clean sheets in the process.
Head-to-Head Record
Head to Head
The most recent meeting between these two clubs came in the Champions League on December 10, 2025, when Bayer Leverkusen and Newcastle drew 2-2 at the BayArena. The only other recorded meetings in the dataset came in the 2002-03 Champions League, when Newcastle won both legs: 3-1 at St. James' Park on February 26 and 3-1 away at Leverkusen on February 18. Across all three listed meetings, Newcastle have won twice and drawn once, with neither side recording a victory over the other in the most recent encounter.