Newcastle vs Leverkusen Prediction 15 August 2026

The Magpies are going through a major rebuild this summer: a change of manager after five years under Eddie Howe, the departure of key players including the captain. The club was forced to sell the core squad that impressed in the Champions League. Sandro Tonali, Anthony Gordon and Bruno Guimarães have been sold. Several veterans also left - Kieran Trippier and Emil Krafth. In total, the team raised around €300 million and are signing young players that new manager Mathias Jaissle will be able to integrate into the squad.

Ahead of the new season, the team are showing poor results - they have yet to find their game and are making a lot of mistakes. The manager needs time to get results. Under Jaissle, Newcastle have played two matches, beating Valencia (2:1) with a man advantage and losing to Everton (1:3).

Newcastle are the third serious opponent Bayer have faced during pre-season preparations. The Werkself beat Sevilla (2:1) with some difficulty and lost to Nottingham (1:2). Before that, they comfortably dealt with lower-level sides, scoring 17 goals in total and conceding just once. But it is the games against opponents of their own level that still raise questions.

This summer, Spanish specialist Carles Martínez Novell took charge of the team. His appointment is an attempt by the club's leadership to bring back the "Xabi Alonso spirit" through a dominant Spanish style of play. The priorities are a high press and overloading the flanks with active overlapping from the fullbacks. In the transfer market, the club earned more than they spent. Alex Grimaldo, Kerim Aláybeyoğlu and Piero Hincapié were sold. Among the notable signings, the purchases of Miguel Gutiérrez, Afonso Moreira and Kenneth Eichhorn are worth mentioning.