Leverkusen Beat Newcastle United 2-1 as Boniface Strikes Late at St James' Park

Bayer Leverkusen beat Newcastle United 2-1 on Saturday, August 15, 2026, in a pre-season friendly at St James’ Park, with Victor Boniface scoring the late winner in Matthias Jaissle’s first home match as Newcastle manager. The defeat opened Newcastle’s Visit Malta double-header weekend and handed Leverkusen the tournament trophy after a contest between two clubs that both competed in last season’s UEFA Champions League.

Kickoff was at 3pm BST on a warm afternoon in Newcastle. Ibrahim Maza stunned the hosts inside the opening minute, and captain Malick Thiaw replied with a header before half-time. Boniface settled it in the 82nd minute after coming off the bench, leaving Jaissle with work to do before the Premier League campaign begins.

Editor’s note: This article draws on match coverage from BBC Sport, Newcastle United’s official match report, NUFC Blog, The Mag, and Newcastle World, August 15, 2026. Lineups and scorers reflect the completed friendly at St James’ Park.

Match at a glance

Detail	Information
Competition	Pre-season friendly (Visit Malta Weekender)
Date	Saturday, August 15, 2026
Venue	St James’ Park, Newcastle
Kickoff	15:00 BST
Final score	Newcastle United 1–2 Bayer Leverkusen
Referee	Michael Oliver

Goal timeline

Minute	Team	Scorer	Notes
1’	Leverkusen	Ibrahim Maza	Long-range strike from the edge of the box past Lukáš Horníček
44’	Newcastle	Malick Thiaw	Header from Anthony Elanga’s corner
82’	Leverkusen	Victor Boniface	Low finish after coming on as a substitute

How the game unfolded

First half: Maza stuns hosts, Thiaw levels

Jaissle named a strong starting line-up for his first St James’ Park outing, including summer signings Sean Steur and Horníček alongside Yoane Wissa, Nick Woltemade, and Harvey Barnes. Lewis Miley returned from a three-month absence after a fractured fibula to start alongside his 17-year-old brother Mason Miley, who was handed his first senior start.

The mood shifted almost immediately. Poor closing down allowed Maza to unleash a rasping 25-yard effort that flew beyond Horníček within 45 seconds of kick-off, giving Leverkusen an early lead.

Newcastle pushed for a response. In the seventh minute, Wissa worked a one-two with Mason Miley, but his first-time shot was well saved by Mark Flekken — Wissa’s former Brentford teammate.

Midway through the first half, Newcastle changed kits during a hydration break. The hosts had walked out in their black-and-white home strip with blue trim but switched to their powder plum third shirt because of a colour clash with Leverkusen’s pale mint away kit — a change BBC Sport noted was made while Newcastle were trailing.

Elanga tested Flekken from range in the 31st minute, and Lewis Hall sent a free kick over the bar before Newcastle finally found their equaliser. Elanga delivered a deep corner from the left, and Thiaw — wearing the captain’s armband — climbed highest to head home in the 44th minute, sending the sides into the break at 1-1.

Second half: Boniface seals it for Leverkusen

Jaissle made changes after the interval, with Rory Finneran replacing Lewis Miley in the 46th minute. Afonso Moreira flashed an effort across goal for the visitors early in the second period, and Wissa broke strongly in the 57th minute before playing out to Woltemade, whose low shot was held by Flekken.

Moreira curled just wide after skipping past Steur with a jinking run — a warning sign Newcastle failed to heed. With less than eight minutes of normal time remaining, substitute Boniface showed composure to create space and slot past Horníček, giving Leverkusen a 2-1 lead they would not relinquish.

Harvey Barnes came within a whisker of a late leveller, lashing onto Wissa’s strike but firing over the bar. Horníček then pushed away a Patrick Schick effort in stoppage time before Oliver blew the final whistle.

Starting lineups and squad notes

Newcastle United XI

Horníček — Hall, Botman, Wissa, Barnes, Thiaw (c), Steur, Elanga, Woltemade (Neave 86), Lewis Miley (Finneran 46), Mason Miley (Pivaš 81)

Substitutes: Harris, Charlton, Sanusi, Johnson

Mason Miley earned praise for his composure on his first senior start, including a dinked pass that created an opening for Wissa and a strong block on the edge of the box in the second half. Steur, the 18-year-old Dutch midfielder signed in the summer, started in midfield but appeared fatigued by the closing stages against Leverkusen’s quality substitutes.

Bayer Leverkusen

Flekken in goal; Maza, Boniface (sub), Moreira, and Schick among the featured players. Leverkusen brought on experienced attacking options from the bench that tilted the balance late in the match.

Jaissle’s first St James’ Park night

The fixture carried extra weight for Newcastle. Jaissle replaced Eddie Howe in the summer and had already overseen a mixed pre-season — including a 1-3 loss to Everton and a 2-1 win over Valencia — before this first home outing.

Saturday’s defeat highlighted areas still to address. Newcastle’s squad remains in flux with the transfer window open, and Jaissle’s starting XI featured several new faces still finding their rhythm together. The manager was given a warm Geordie welcome when he emerged from the dugout, but the result underlined that competitive football is only a week away.

Leverkusen, meanwhile, claimed the Visit Malta trophy and continued a productive summer after beating Sevilla 2-1 the previous week.

What’s next

Club	Next fixture	Date
Newcastle United	Pre-season friendly vs Strasbourg at St James’ Park	Sunday, August 16, 2026 (16:00 BST)
Bayer Leverkusen	Bundesliga season opener	August 2026

Newcastle close their Visit Malta weekend against Ligue 1 side Strasbourg on Sunday afternoon. The Premier League opener against Liverpool follows in the coming week — a far sterner test than Saturday’s friendly, but one Jaissle must prepare for quickly.

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Discussion

A pre-season scoreline is never definitive — but a 45-second opener conceded and a late winner conceded suggest Newcastle still have gaps to close before the real season starts.

1. Mason Miley earned an 8/10 rating on his first senior start at 17, while Lewis Miley returned from a fractured fibula. Does pairing the brothers in midfield signal a genuine pathway for youth, or was this a friendly experiment Jaissle will not repeat against Liverpool?

Mason looked comfortable on the ball and defensively alert; the Premier League opener will tell whether that holds against top-tier opposition.

2. Newcastle changed kits mid-match due to a colour clash and conceded within a minute. With signings still possible and a new manager settling in, how much should fans read into a 2-1 home defeat to Leverkusen before the Liverpool game?

Jaissle’s first St James’ Park night ended in defeat, but the squad picture may look different by next week.

Share your take on Newcastle’s pre-season and whether Jaissle’s side look ready for the new campaign.