Newcastle United returns to St James’ Park on Saturday to face Bayer Leverkusen in the Magpies’ penultimate friendly before the start of the new Premier League campaign.
Matthias Jaissle’s side enters the game looking to respond to Wednesday’s awful 3-1 defeat to Everton, with only this matchup and a final friendly against Strasbourg on Sunday remaining before the season opener against Liverpool on Aug. 23.
With the start of the season right around the corner, the focus will increasingly be on Newcastle’s improved performance, fitness levels, and Jaissle’s plans for his starting XI amid a plethora of question marks surrounding the team just days before the campaign starts for real.
The Magpies have won two, drawn one, and lost two of their five preseason games, and while the likes of Bazoumana Toure and Sean Steur have shown flashes of greatness for their age, there is not much to nail down as NUFC facts for now.
Leverkusen, who finished sixth in the Bundesliga last season, will surely provide another strong test for the Magpies after the two clubs met in the Champions League last season, playing out a 2-2 draw in Germany.
Join us in the comments below throughout the game to follow and discuss everything happening at St James’ Park. As always, keep the conversation going before, during, and after the final whistle.
Howay the lads!
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