Newcastle United earned a point in the Champions League last night with a 2-2 draw against Bayer Leverkusen, but Sandro Tonali was disappointing.
Eddie Howe’s side battled back from a goal down to lead 2-1 in Germany, but conceded late on again to miss out on a crucial win.
Who was your MOTM vs Bayer Leverkusen?
Still, plenty of Newcastle players played well, with Anthony Gordon and Lewis Miley shining in particular. However, it was not a good night for Sandro Tonali.
A sluggish performance from the Italian across the 90 minutes is concerning, but Howe can explain why that may have been the case.
Sandro Tonali is not playing at 100%
Speaking to the press after the game, the Newcastle United manager was asked if there was any reason for Tonali’s disappointing display, and he revealed he is still not quite at full fitness.
Howe said: “He’s had a little bit of a bitty last couple of months. He had a bad illness which really knocked him. Then he came back to fitness, then he got a knock against Tottenham. A little bit in and out.
“Today he looked tired towards the end. Simply because he’s not been playing the amount of time he would normally. It’s just a case of building his rhythm back.”
Newcastle fans are worried about Tonali and his performance, but it sounds like they just need to be patient and let him get back to prime condition. That said, if he wasn’t 100% fit, maybe he shouldn’t have played the full game?
- READ MORE: Eddie Howe hits the nail on the head as Anthony Gordon’s transformation saves Newcastle United again
It’s time to have an honest conversation on Sandro Tonali….
Is Sandro Tonali just fatigued or is he being played in the wrong position? Seems like we recently had success playing him in the deeper role!
Sandro Tonali’s game by numbers
Across the 90 minutes, Tonali made a number of misplaced passes. In fact, he registered a pass success rate of 87% with 46 out of 53 completed (as per Sofascore).
However, it is worth noting Tonali created one big chance and made two key passes. He was also successful with his one cross into the box.
It was more in his defensive actions that Tonali really struggled. He won just three of his six ground duels and lost his one aerial duel. However, he did win all three of his tackles, while also making one interception, two clearances, and five recoveries.
Essentially, on paper, Tonali’s display wasn’t all that bad. But, to the eye at least, the midfielder just looked a little off the pace and careless, which is unusual for him and his high standards. The fitness levels are likely the cause, so hopefully we see him in better shape come the weekend.
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