Nick Woltemade probably would have hoped to grab a goal on his return to Germany. Even though he failed in that mission, the comments from the press there have been a little unfair.
Newcastle United took a point off Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League on Wednesday night, but it will feel like two points dropped.
Will Newcastle advance to the next round of the Champions League?
10 points from 6 games is good, but a win vs Leverkusen could have moved us up to 6th!
Another Anthony Gordon penalty and a special goal for Lewis Miley looked to have won the game for Newcastle, but they were pegged back in the dying moments.
Nick Woltemade didn’t manage to get on the scoresheet on the night, but does that really mean his performance was below par?
Nick Woltemade criticised after Bayer Leverkusen vs Newcastle United
Scouring the German press for reactions to the game, we spotted analysis from Sport.DE, who were clearly not all that impressed with Woltemade.
They wrote: “Woltemade had stolen the ball from Bayer goalkeeper Mark Flekken before the 1-1 equaliser and won Gordon’s penalty. Otherwise, the 23-year-old remained ineffective in his first Champions League match on German soil.”
However, it wasn’t all bad when it comes to reviews of Woltemade’s display from journalists in his native Germany. In fact, one outlet hailed his impact in winning the penalty for Gordon to convert.
Bild wrote: “Former VfB Stuttgart star Woltemade outsmarts Leverkusen goalkeeper Flekken. The German international cheekily runs at the Leverkusen keeper after a back pass, forcing him into a dribble.
“Flekken gets mixed up in the challenge and catches Woltemade on the foot in the penalty area. A penalty is awarded, and Newcastle equalise. A bitter blow for Leverkusen!”
Give us your three-word review to Bayer Leverkusen 2-2 Newcastle United
We’ll go with ‘same old problems’….
Goals are not the only measure of Woltemade success
Granted, we weren’t ready to rave about Woltemade in our Newcastle player ratings from the game, but that doesn’t mean he played particularly badly.
The German striker worked hard, pressed the ball well, and as mentioned above, he used his clever footwork to win that all-important penalty which turned the game on its head.
Woltemade has got seven goals in all competitions this season, which is a brilliant return already. Does he want more? Absolutely. Could and should he have more? Maybe. But there’s no denying Woltemade has hit the ground running.
His work rate is fantastic, and like any good striker, it’s not just about goals. The way he brings his teammates into play and creates dangerous situations is just as important, especially when he has people like Anthony Gordon scoring goals to ease the pressure.
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