Newcastle United Vs Manchester United Prediction: Heavy Red Devils Test At Home To Magpies

Newcastle United players are now looking at the target for next season's Champions League (photo: x @fabianschaer)

JAKARTA Manchester United will return to the Premier League stage on Sunday, April 13 to face host Newcastle United at St James' Park. Both teams had a very different season "Newcastle competes for Champions League tickets, while United are stranded on the centerboard and are now focusing more on their energy into the Europa League."

With just a few days from the tough match against Lyon, which ended in a 2-2 draw due to Andre Onana's blunder in the final minute, Ruben Amorim will certainly rotate the squad, something Newcastle can use to prolong their positive trend.

Newcastle United came with an incredible capital: four consecutive wins in all competitions. The streak started with a narrow win over West Ham, then a 2-1 win over Liverpool in the League Cup final that ended the 70-year wait for the domestic trophy. After that, they successfully beat Brentford and slaughtered Leicester 3-0 with a quick brace from Jacob Murphy and Harvey Barnes' goal.

The results brought Eddie Howe's squad to fifth in the standings, one point above Manchester City. With an additional two Champions League slots for the Premier League following Arsenal's win over Real Madrid, Newcastle's current position is enough to secure a ticket to next season's Champions League' very realistic target with eight games remaining.

Interestingly, Newcastle is also dominant in their last five meetings against Manchester United, winning four of them including a 2-0 win at Old Trafford December 2024. Now, they have a rare chance of sweeping two league meetings against the Red Devils in one season for the first time since 1931.

Manchester United, on the other hand, went through a season full of disappointment. In the league, they were stranded in 13th position, winning just 10 wins from 31 matches and potentially recording their worst Premier League season. In fact, they have never won twice in a row this season "a fact that illustrates how inconsistent the performance of their team."

United's main focus has now turned to the Europa League as the only realistic hope of appearing in European competition next season. But the draw against Lyon in the first leg was clearly disappointing, especially as Onana's two fatal mistakes made the victory that was already in sight disappear.

Newcastle lost Lewis Hall,tangle Botman, and Jamaal Lasceles due to a long-term injury. Joe Willock was also absent due to concussion, while Anthony Gordon's condition would be monitored until the final minutes of the match. However, Alexander Isak is certain to be ready to appear from the start even though he still carries a few complaints at the base of his thigh.

With the formation relatively stable, Eddie Howe will most likely stick to Murphy, Barnes, and Isak's trio upfront, as well as a combination of Tonali, Joelinton, and Guimaraes in midfield.

Manchester United are no less limp. Leandro Martinez, Jonny Evans, Amad Diallo, Ayden Heaven, and Toby Coller are all sidelined due to injury. Matthijs de Ligt is still not recovering and will miss the third match in a row.

It is possible that Ruben Amorim gave Altay Bayindir the opportunity to replace Onana under the bar after a series of fatal errors. Names such as Mason Mount, Joshua Zirkzee, and Victor Lindelof also have the opportunity to enter the starting XI in the rotation scheme.

Newcastle appeared consistent, sharp, and confident, especially playing in front of their own supporters at St James' Park. On the other hand, Manchester United are exhausted, capitalized, and continue to be plagued by a storm of injuries and a performance crisis. With a massive rotation and spotlight on Onana, the pressure will be enormous for United to appear solid.

Newcastle also had more motivation with the chance of qualifying for the Champions League, and history also supported them to wipe out two league meetings this season.

Newcastle United (4-3-3): Jack Pope; Kieran Trippier, Fabian Sch00, Dan Burn, Tino Livramento; Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali, Joelinton; Jacob Murphy, Harvey Barnes, Alexander Isak

Manchester United (3-4-2-1): Altay Bayindir; Noussair Mazraoui, Victor Lindelof, Leny Yoro; Diogo Dalot, Bruno Fernandes, Manuel Ugarte, Patrick Dorgu; Alejandro Garnacho, Mason Mount; Joshua Zirkzee

Score Prediction: Newcastle United 3-1 Manchester United