With just a point separating the two sides ahead of kick-off, it was a lively start to the game as both teams went in pursuit of an early breakthrough.
Having seen Mark Flekken thwart a low effort from Harvey Barnes inside five minutes, it was Leverkusen who took the lead shortly after when Robert Andrich’s header at the back post deflected off Bruno Guimaraes and beyond a helpless Aaron Ramsdale, marking the first goal Newcastle had conceded before half-time in this season’s UCL.
Armed with the momentum, the hosts thought they’d been awarded a penalty in the 21st minute when Malick Thiaw pulled back a marauding Patrik Schick, only for referee Serdar Gozubuyuk to deem the foul had taken place marginally outside the box.
Grateful for that narrow escape, Newcastle looked to gain a foothold in the contest before half-time, but it was Die Werkself who continued to threaten in the final third, with Jarell Quansah seeing a powerful strike tipped over by Ramsdale.
Having picked up seven wins from their last 11 outings across all competitions (D1, L3), the in-form visitors upped the ante at the start of the second period, and were given a golden opportunity to draw level when Flekken clumsily fouled Nick Woltemade in the box.
Anthony Gordon assumed the responsibility from the spot, and the Englishman clinically dispatched the penalty into the bottom-left corner, with his third spot-kick in as many games restoring parity.
That set up a fascinating final half-hour in North Rhine-Westphalia, with Gordon powering a low effort against the post, while at the other end, Ernest Poku blazed wastefully over after a promising counter-attack.
Chances continued to flow for both sides, and it was Newcastle who took the lead in the 74th minute when Gordon’s inch-perfect delivery was coolly headed home by substitute Lewis Miley.
The Magpies looked to press home their advantage, as Thiaw saw a close-range header superbly saved by Flekken and Jacob Murphy fired a powerful strike against the base of the post.
Those missed chances proved to be costly, with Leverkusen drawing level in the 88th minute after neat link-up between Aleix Garcia and Ibrahim Maza set up Grimaldo for a composed finish.
That moment of quality secured a crucial point for Die Werkself, keeping their hopes of a top-eight finish alive, while Newcastle missed the chance to rise as high as sixth in the table.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Anthony Gordon (Newcastle)
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