Newcastle United will suffer a 2-2 draw with Bayer Leverkusen, leaving Newcastle United in 12th place in the Champions League table.
Newcastle captain Bruno Guimarães scored an own goal but the Magpies canceled out Leverkusen’s lead in the second half through Anthony Gordon.
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Lewis Miley then came on as a substitute, replacing the underperforming Joelinton, and scored what should have been the winning goal, but Newcastle allowed Leverkusen to take a point.
Following some recent performances, Joelinton’s performance in the engine room has attracted attention.
Yesterday, the Brazilian struggled to influence the game, in which he lost with a score of 7/9.
Lee Ryder gave him a 5/10 rating and said he “never quite clicked” against Bayer Leverkusen.
The Newcastle midfielder has only scored once in the Champions League and Premier League.
Toons boss Eddie Howe is clearly a fan of the 29-year-old, who has become a mainstay since joining the Tyneside side.
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Howe relies on his aggression, ability to impose himself on opponents and leading the way in the final third.
However, Joelinton’s recent performances will prompt him to reconsider his stance.
Miley deserves to replace Joelinton in Newcastle’s starting XI
Mailey came on and changed the overall tempo of Newcastle’s midfield, providing controlled intensity, cleaner progression and, most importantly, his late goals.
The teenager is in prolific form and looks increasingly comfortable dictating the tempo of the high-stakes European competition.
While Joelinton’s physical presence is still valuable, his recent decline makes his current ranking that much harder to justify.
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Miley’s composure, forward momentum and growing confidence brought a different dimension to Howe, something Newcastle sorely needed in a tight contest.
On current evidence the youngster has earned the right to start ahead of Joelinton.
If Howe is serious about restoring balance and energy to the midfield, Miley should be the one to get the nod.
