Bayer Leverkusen vs Newcastle United: Champions League betting tips, odds and predictions

• Ladbrokes previews Leverkusen vs Newcastle in the Champions League

• Match predicted to end in a draw

• Harvey Barnes backed to continue his good form with a shot on target

Newcastle United continue their European journey when they travel to Germany to take on Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League on Wednesday night. Ladbrokes brings you the latest odds, betting tips and predictions as Eddie Howe's side look to secure a crucial away win ahead of the weekend's Wear-Tyne derby.

Newcastle's away form has been underwhelming for much of 2025 but they did pick up an impressive 4-1 win at Everton, days after their last Champions League game, a 2-1 loss at Marseille. That defeat saw them drop out of the top eight, but they are still in a decent position in 11th with 9 points.

Leverkusen pulled off a stunning upset last time out in Europe, going to the Etihad and beating Manchester City 2-0, a result that moved them up to 17th in the league phase. That made it back-to-back Champions League wins, but in their previous home game they were hammered 7-2 by PSG.

Both sides are likely to at least secure a playoff spot and a win here would go a long way to doing so. Newcastle have looked better in recent weeks but consistency remains an issue, and a visit to the side sitting 4th in the Bundesliga will be no pushover, especially with one eye on the weekend's seismic Wear-Tyne derby. We reckon Eddie Howe's men will secure a creditable point on the road.

Harvey Barnes has proved a useful source of goals for Newcastle whether starting or off the bench, and has scored in each of the last four Champions League games for The Magpies. He's scoring a goal every 66 minutes in Europe and has also landed a shot on target in each of the last five games. Rested for Newcastle's win over Burnley at the weekend, there's a good chance he starts here, and we're tipping Barnes to have at least one shot on target.

Leverkusen's flying left wing back Alejandro Grimaldo is the team's creative force, even more so in the absence of Florian Wirtz this season. The Spaniard has eight goals and five assists in all competitions this season, after 49 goal contributions across the previous two seasons, establishing himself as one of Europe's premier attacking full backs. With Grimaldo on set pieces, where Newcastle have been leaky defensively in recent weeks, we're tipping him to grab an assist, which at 5/1 we quite like as a standalone bet too.

Bayer centre back Tapsoba was actually linked with a move to Tyneside in the summer, but Newcastle ended up signing Malick Thiaw, who has proved an instant success. The 26-year-old Burkina Faso international has been one of the most in-demand defenders in Europe since his performances in Leverkusen's remarkable unbeaten title-winning campaign in 2023/24. However, he's had a few disciplinary issues this season, picking up six yellow cards in all competitions. That includes three in the Champions League, with Tapsoba already serving a suspension last time out. Back in the fold, we're predicting him to be back in the referee's notebook as well.

View the latest football odds.

All odds and markets are correct as of the date of publication.