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CORNERED: HOW ALEX GRIMALDO ENDED NEWCASTLE'S AWAY-DAY UCL HOPES AT BAYARENA

Lewis Miley's historic goal looked set to secure a huge UCL win, but Alex Grimaldo's late strike exposed Newcastle's severe issue with conceding goals late in games.

Cornered: How Alex Grimaldo Ended Newcastle's Away-Day UCL Hopes at BayArena
Grimaldo Strike Denies Newcastle UCL Comeback Victory

Alex Grimaldo scored late, stopping Newcastle from completing a Champions League comeback win against Bayer Leverkusen, ending the game in a 2-2 draw at the BayArena.

Newcastle thought they had pulled off an amazing turnaround when Lewis Miley wrote his name in the history books, becoming the club's youngest-ever Champions League scorer at 19 with a second-half goal. Anthony Gordon, who had earlier scored Newcastle's tying goal, set up Miley perfectly. The goal raised hopes that Newcastle's struggles away from home were over, but Leverkusen didn't agree.

After losing to Marseille after leading, Gordon lamented Newcastle's tendency to concede goals late in games.

"It's happened way too often," Gordon told TNT Sports after the match. I really don't know why they are scoring late goals. Maybe it's because we're tired with so many games coming up. I think it comes down to mentality.

Newcastle's struggles with late goals continue. They've lost the most points (11) from winning positions in the Premier League this season. Only three teams have lost more points from winning positions in the Champions League than Newcastle this season (5). Of Premier League clubs, only Burnley (8) have let in more goals in the final five minutes of games than Newcastle (7).

After beating Manchester City in their last game, the Bundesliga team had their sights set on another English team when Robert Andrich's header, deflected into his own net by Newcastle captain Bruno Guimaraes, gave them the lead in the 13th minute.

Leverkusen almost got a second goal when Malick Thiaw fouled Patrick Schick just outside the box. VAR checked if the foul deserved a red card for denying a clear goal-scoring chance, but the original yellow card decision stood.

Newcastle got lucky at one end, and then, in the second half, they couldn't believe their fortune when Mark Flekken's hesitation led to him bringing down Nick Woltemade in the box. Gordon took the penalty, sending the keeper the wrong way to score his fifth Champions League goal of the season.

Newcastle then had their best period, with Gordon hitting the post while seeking a second goal. Miley, who came off the bench, then scored what Newcastle needed to improve their chance of finishing in the top eight. But Grimaldo ruined the party, firing past Aaron Ramsdale to tie the score in the 88th minute.

Howe's team has two more Champions League games in January to try and move into the top eight, starting with Eredivisie champions PSV Eindhoven at St. James' Park on Jan 21. They will then finish their league games with a tough trip to current champions PSG on Jan 28.

LEAGUE UPDATE: MAN UNITED’S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE HOPES BOOSTED BY COEFFICIENT POINTS SURGE

Manchester United move into fourth place as England's dominant UEFA coefficient makes a fifth Champions League spot almost certain.

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Confirmed: Fifth place in PL likely to earn UCL qualification this season

Manchester United just got a real shot in the arm for their Champions League hopes this season. After knocking off Manchester City and Arsenal in back-to-back games, they’ve climbed into fourth place in the Premier League. It’s been a struggle for United to make the Champions League in recent years—their last run was in the 2023/24 season.

These days, finishing in the top four isn’t always enough for Premier League teams. UEFA now hands out extra spots, and it all depends on how clubs from each country perform across the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League.

So, how does it work? UEFA takes each league’s overall coefficient score—basically, a measure of how well their teams do in Europe—and divides it by the number of clubs they have in these competitions.

This season, Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham, Chelsea, Manchester City, and Newcastle all joined the European fight. Out of those six, only Newcastle had to go through the play-offs; the rest sailed straight into the knockouts.

Now that the Champions League group stage is done, you can really see which countries are in line for those bonus spots next year. Right now, England is out in front with 180,625 points. Germany follows with 107,000. Portugal sits in third with 14,700, and Spain is just behind on 14,375.

Here’s the key thing: the two countries whose teams rack up the best results across all three competitions this season each get a European Performance Spot—an extra Champions League place.

With England leading the pack, even a fifth-place finish in the Premier League could send United back into the Champions League instead of the Europa League. Newcastle took advantage of this last season.

If United hold onto fourth, they’re in. But there’s still a lot of football left. Interim boss Michael Carrick isn’t letting anyone get ahead of themselves—he’s already told his players to stay sharp.

Next up, United face Fulham at Old Trafford. They'll be chasing a third straight win and looking to keep Carrick’s perfect record going since he stepped in for Darren Fletcher.

JUST IN: PEP GUARDIOLA THANKS JOSE MOURINHO AFTER WILD NIGHT OF EUROPEAN DRAMA

Pep Guardiola thanks Jose Mourinho as Benfica’s last-gasp winner against Real Madrid sends City straight into the Last-16.

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Pep Guardiola’s oldest rival just saved City’s season

Pep Guardiola had a smile on his face and a message for Jose Mourinho after his old rival did him a huge favour, helping Manchester City sneak into the Champions League knockout rounds.

City took care of their own business, beating Galatasaray 2-0 at the Etihad. Haaland and Cherki got the goals, but the real drama was happening elsewhere. City’s spot in the last eight still hung in the balance because Real Madrid needed to equalise against Benfica. If they had, Guardiola’s squad would have been bumped into the play-offs instead.

That’s when Benfica’s goalkeeper, Anatoliy Trubin, pulled off something wild. He left his box, charged forward for a late free kick, and scored a brilliant goal. Benfica won 4-2. That goal kept Benfica alive in the competition—and, as it turned out, saved City too.

Guardiola admitted he and his players were glued to the screen in the dressing room, completely confused when they saw Trubin running up for that last free kick. “We were all in there, watching, and none of us realised Benfica still needed a goal to qualify,” Guardiola said. “So when their keeper went up, we’re all thinking, ‘What are you doing?’ But Jose knew. It was a smart move. Finishing in the top eight, with how tough the Champions League has become, feels really good for us. Now we can focus on being at our best by March.”

Bernardo Silva didn’t hide how relieved he felt. Skipping those extra play-off games really matters, especially when you’re chasing a quadruple. “A bit of drama, but we did it. We’re very happy because we avoid two more matches,” he said. “With all the injuries we’ve got and the crazy schedule, having those two weeks free to rest, get players back, and focus on the other competitions is huge for us.”

As for Mourinho, he looked proud after Benfica’s wild finish. He’s won this tournament twice before, and he believed his side deserved to stay in. “That was a fantastic goal, a historic moment—almost blew the roof off the stadium,” Mourinho said. “Honestly, for Benfica to beat Real Madrid, that’s massive.”

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