Bayer Leverkusen vs Newcastle: Confirmed starting line-ups in Champions League

Newcastle will start three points shy of the automatic qualification places for the last 16 of the Champions League when the Magpies visit Leverkusen on Wednesday.

Eddie Howe’s side are also three points above the eight elimination places in the table, while Leverkusen are a point behind them.

Fourth in the Bundesliga, Die Werkself have two wins, two draws and one defeat from the opening five matchweeks of the league phase.

101GreatGoals.com has full team news from Leverkusen vs Newcastle in the Champions League. You can also follow live text updates from the game here.

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Leverkusen starting lineup vs Newcastle

Bayer Leverkusen have received a major boost with Alejandro Grimaldo cleared to start tonight’s match.

Former Liverpool duo Jarell Quansah and Arthur also return to the starting lineup.

However, manager Kasper Hjulmand will be absent from the touchline for “personal reasons,” leaving assistant Rogier Meijer to take charge.

Leverkusen starting XI: Flekken; Andrich, Quansah, Tapsoba; Arthur, Maza, Garcia, Poku; Tilmann, Grimaldo; Schick.

Leverkusen substitutes: Blaswich, Lomb, Bade, Echeverri, Tape, Ben Seghir, Tella, Kofane, Belocian.

Newcastle starting lineup vs Leverkusen

Newcastle make four changes from the side that beat Burnley 2-1 last Saturday.

Lewis Hall, Joelinton, Sandro Tonali and Harvey Barnes come back into the starting XI.

Fabian Schar, Jacob Ramsey, Joe Willock and Anthony Elanga all drop to the bench.

Newcastle starting XI: Ramsdale; Livramento, Thiaw, Burn, Hall; Tonali, Guimaraes, Joelinton; Barnes, Woltemade, Gordon.

Newcastle substitutes: Thompson, Harrison, Schar, Wissa, Elanga, Jacob Murphy, Willock, Alex Murphy, Ramsey, Miley.

How to watch Leverkusen vs Newcastle: Live online stream, TV channel

Kick-off on Wednesday is at 20:00 GMT (15:00 ET / 12:00 PT). Live TV coverage in the UK is on TNT Sports 5 and the Discovery Plus app.

TNT Sports costs £29.99 a month through discovery+, which includes Eurosport and entertainment and is available on a vast range of devices including smart TVs and gaming consoles.

Bayer Leverkusen vs Newcastle stats

• The only previous meetings between Leverkusen and Newcastle came in the 2002/03 Champions League second group stage, with the English side winning 3-1 home and away
• Patrik Schick has scored in Leverkusen’s last two Champions League matches, after netting only one goal in his first 28 appearances in the competition proper
• Leverkusen have lost one of their last six matches against English teams (W3 D2), keeping four clean sheets, including in their 2-0 win at Manchester City on Matchday 5
• Only five teams in this season’s league phase have won more tackles than Leverkusen (46)
• Unbeaten Arsenal are the only team to have suffered fewer defeats
• After winning their first four European matches against German teams, Newcastle are winless in the last three (D1 L2), most recently losing 1-0 at home and 2-0 away to Dortmund in the 2023/24 Champions League group stage
• Newcastle have won two of their last 13 European matches away from home (D6 L5)
• Harvey Barnes has four goals in his last four Champions League appearances
• William Osula has been the 13th-fastest player in this season’s competition (35.2 km/h top speed)
• Only three goalkeepers have made more punches in the 2025/26 league phase than Nick Pope (4)

Champions League fixtures today

Arsenal will move three points clear at the top of the table with two matches remaining if they win in Brugge, while 15-time champions Real Madrid also host 2022/23 winners Manchester City.

Here are the later fixtures in the Champions League today, all starting at 20:00 GMT / 15:00 ET / 12:00 PT.

Wednesday, December 10

Athletic Club vs PSG

Bayer Leverkusen vs Newcastle

Benfica vs Napoli

Borussia Dortmund vs Bodo/Glimt

Club Brugge vs Arsenal

Juventus vs Pafos

Real Madrid vs Man City

Newcastle Champions League fixtures, results 2025/26

All fixtures start at 20:00 GMT / 15:00 ET / 12:00 PT.

Thursday, September 18: Newcastle 1-2 Barcelona

Wednesday, October 1: USG 0-4 Newcastle

Tuesday, October 21: Newcastle 3-0 Benfica

Wednesday, November 5: Newcastle 2-0 Athletic Club

Tuesday, November 25: Marseille 2-1 Newcastle

Wednesday, December 10: Leverkusen vs Newcastle

Wednesday, January 21: Newcastle vs PSV

Wednesday January 28: PSG vs Newcastle

Newcastle Champions League squad 2025/26

Newcastle’s List A Champions League squad has been registered until the round of 16 in February 2026, when clubs can register a maximum of three new players within the existing limit of 25.

Goalkeepers: Nick Pope, Aaron Ramsdale

Defenders: Kieran Trippier, Sven Botman, Fabian Schär, Malick Thiaw, Emil Krafth, Tino Livramento, Dan Burn

Midfielders: Joelinton, Sandro Tonali, Joe Willock, Bruno Guimaraes, Jacob Ramsey

Forwards: Yoane Wissa, Anthony Gordon, Harvey Barnes, William Osula, Anthony Elanga, Jacob Murphy, Nick Woltemade

List B submissions, comprised of players born after January 1, 2004 who have been eligible to play for the club for an uninterrupted period of two years since their 15th birthday, can also be made until midnight before each match.

Defender Lewis Hall and midfielder Lewis Miley are initially on List B.

Newcastle Champions League schedule 2025/26

After the league phase, the play-offs are held in February, with the rest of the knockout stage before the final held between March and early May.

Matchday 1: September 16-18 2025

Matchday 2: September 30 – October 1 2025

Matchday 3: October 21/22 2025

Matchday 4: November 4/5 2025

Matchday 5: November 25/26 2025

Matchday 6: December 9/10 2025

Matchday 7: January 20/21 2026

Matchday 8: January 28 2026

When is the Champions League knockout phase?

Knockout phase play-offs: February 17/18 & 24/25 2026

Round of 16: March 10/11 & 17/18 2026

Quarter-finals: April 7/8 & 14/15 2026

Semi-finals: April 28/29 and May 5/6 2026

Final: May 30 2026 (Budapest)

When are the Champions League draws?

Knockout phase play-offs: January 30 2026

Round of 16, quarter-final, semi-final and final: February 27 2026

Champions League 2025/26 format

In a change from the previous group stage format conducted until 2023/24, each team now plays eight matches in the league phase, all against different opponents.

Four of those matches will be at home and four away, with the opponents determined according to four seeding pots split by rankings.

Teams will play two opponents from each of those pots – one against a team from each pot at home and one away. The results decide the overall standings in one league.

The top eight sides in the table qualify automatically for the round of 16. The teams finishing in ninth to 24th will compete in a two-legged knockout phase play-off to reach the last 16.

Teams finishing 25th or lower are out of Europe for the season.

English teams in the Champions League: Why are there six clubs?

Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea and Newcastle all qualified as the top five teams in the Premier League.

There were five places for English teams because extra positions are awarded according to Uefa’s co-efficient rankings, which are based on the overall performances of nations across European competition over a season.

Spurs qualified as Europa League champions, despite losing 22 and winning only 11 of their 2024/25 league games and finishing 17th.

When is the Champions League final?

The final will take place on May 30 2026 at the The Puskas Arena in Budapest, which opened in 2019 and is home to Hungary’s national team.

The arena hosted a dramatic 2022/23 Europa League final, when Sevilla beat Roma on penalties following a 1-1 draw after extra time.