Newcastle United's frustrating habit of surrendering late leads struck again as Alex Grimaldo's 88th-minute strike snatched a 2-2 Champions League draw for Bayer Leverkusen at the BayArena.
It's becoming a painful pattern for Eddie Howe's side, who threw away what looked like a hard-earned victory just two minutes from time.
This marks the second consecutive week the Magpies have dropped points in the dying stages, following their stoppage-time equaliser conceded against Tottenham in the Premier League.
Despite fighting back brilliantly in the second half, Newcastle simply couldn't see the job through, leaving them sitting 12th in the competition standings.
Anthony Gordon scored again from the penalty spot
|REUTERS
The match got off to a nightmare start for Newcastle when Bruno Guimaraes put through his own net after just 13 minutes.
Howe's men were actually relieved to head into half-time only trailing by a single goal, but everything changed after the break.
Leverkusen goalkeeper Mark Flekken gifted the visitors a lifeline with a dreadful error, attempting to play out from the back far too casually before bringing down Nick Woltemade with a desperate sliding challenge inside the box.
Gordon stepped up and coolly dispatched his third spot-kick in three matches, sending Flekken the wrong way in the 51st minute.
The winger nearly completed the turnaround moments later, rattling the base of the post with a left-footed strike.
Alex Grimaldo netted a late leveller for Leverkusen to deny Newcastle all three points
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Gordon then turned provider, delivering the ball for 19-year-old substitute Lewis Miley to head home in the 74th minute.
It was a special moment for the teenager, who became Newcastle's youngest ever scorer in the Champions League with his first goal in the competition.
Speaking after the match, Gordon was full of praise for his young teammate.
"He is a fantastic player and does well every time he comes on or when he starts," Gordon told TNT Sports.
"He has took a big leap this year with his physical and mental development. I am really happy for him."
Lewis Miley became Newcastle's youngest goalscorer in the Champions League
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Yet Gordon was far from satisfied with the final result, pointing to a worrying trend in Newcastle's performances.
"I don't know [how the game slipped away] but it's happening too many times, to be honest," he told TNT Sports.
The winger acknowledged the team's poor opening half hour but credited Howe for giving them "a kick up the backside" at the interval.
Heartbreak for Newcastle 💔
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) December 10, 2025
Leverkusen leave it late as Alejandro Grimaldo levels the scores ⚽️@tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/d3cdOOJohQ
However, his main concern was clear: "Defensively we need to be more tight because we are conceding too many goals late in games.
"I don't know if that is fatigue, but it all comes back to mentality. We have to hold out in these games because that is what top teams do."