Manchester United
It’s been a frustrating season for the home side.
Old Trafford hasn’t quite been the fortress they need it to be, and their consistency is non-existent. They come into this match fresh off a 2-1 loss to Aston Villa which resulted in them slipping to seventh on the table. United’s attack has been firing— 31 goals this season already—but their defence is far too leaky.
Ruben Amorim needs an immediate response from his team. Historically, Manchester United enjoy playing Newcastle at home, but they can’t afford the same defensive lapses they exhibited against Villa and Bournemouth. If they can tighten up at the back and feed Bryan Mbeumo in the right areas, I reckon they can cause trouble here.
Team News: Bruno Fernandes is a major doubt after picking up a knock.
Predicted Lineup: Onana; Mazraoui, De Ligt, Martinez, Dalot; Ugarte, Mainoo; Mbeumo, Mount, Garnacho; Cunha.
Newcastle
Newcastle seem to be hitting a bit of a wall the past few weeks.
Sitting 11th on the table, they’ve struggled to string results together. A 2-2 draw with Chelsea most recently showed they still have plenty of stubbornness about them, but their 1-0 loss to Sunderland a week or so ago was a bitter pill to swallow. I reckon the loss of Alexander Isak to Liverpool is still evident, as they’re falling off a bit in the final third.
But my main concern is Newcastle’s injury list. With key defenders like Dan Burn and Sven Botman out, their backline is pretty makeshift. They love to press, but a leaky defence at Old Trafford is a massive risk.
The latest markets on betting apps show just how NZ bookmakers rate their chances, with the odds against them keeping a clean sheet.
Team News: Nick Pope is pushing for a return in goal, which would be huge. But their defence is down to its bare bones with Livramento and Trippier also sidelined.
Predicted Lineup: Pope; Krafth, Schar, Kelly, Hall; Tonali, Guimaraes, Joelinton; Gordon, Woltemade, Barnes.
