Newcastle United walked onto the pitch at St James' Park in their black-and-white home shirt with blue trim for the pre-season friendly against Bayer Leverkusen. The match was part of Newcastle's summer preparations ahead of the new season.

At the first hydration break, the hosts swapped to their lilac third kit because the black-and-white and Bayer's mint-and-blue away shirts looked too similar, creating a colour clash that was noticeable to spectators and officials alike. The mint-and-blue pattern made the kits visually similar from a distance, prompting the referee and fans to question which side was which.

Manager Matthias Jaissle said, “I was a bit surprised when they came out for kick-off. The change was done because the shirt colour was so close to each other, so it was smart to use the first hydration break to change it. Probably from the stands, from your perspective, it was not easy to distinguish between the two teams.” He added that the quick switch helped avoid confusion on the field.

The German side went on to win the game 2-1. The 2-1 result gave Leverkusen a morale boost heading into their own pre-season fixtures. Leverkusen's victory was secured by a late goal in the second half.