Newcastle lost 2-1 to Bayer Leverkusen in a friendly at St James' Park on Saturday before a crowd exceeding 39,000. The defeat highlighted concerns about the team's readiness ahead of next Sunday's Premier League visit from Liverpool. The squad continues adjusting to the departures of Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimarães from the summer transfer window.
Head coach Matthias Jaissle identified encouraging signs despite the loss, suggesting the club is moving in the right direction. Newcastle are also pursuing Benfica defender Amar Dedic as they rebuild their squad ahead of the new season.
