Newcastle vs Man Utd Prediction: Toon test too much for wounded visitors

Things don't get any easier for Manchester United after their midweek collapse in the Champions League, as they now prepare for a trip to St. James' Park on Saturday evening (20:00) to face Newcastle United.

Erik ten Hag's side will arrive on Tyneside battered and bruised - physically and mentally - after a pulsating 3-3 draw against Galatasaray on Wednesday, a result which leaves them on the brink of exiting European football's premier club competition.

Newcastle are also in danger of a Champions League exit, but they can take a lot of credit from a 1-1 draw against PSG in the French capital, after a hugely controversial late penalty robbed them of all three points.

Team News

These two clubs can probably lay claim to the lengthiest injury lists in the Premier League. Callum Wilson, Sven Botman, Joe Willock, Dan Burn and Harvey Barnes are just a few of the big-name stars out for Newcastle, so the starting XI pretty much picks itself at the moment, which should see 17-year-old Lewis Miley handed a fourth consecutive start against the 20-time champions.

Manchester United will welcome Marcus Rashford back into the fold after the England international missed the midweek abomination through suspension. Rasmus Hojlund returned to action in Istanbul but Anthony Martial might be preferred up top after his goalscoring exploits against Everton. Christian Eriksen, Casemiro, Lisandro Martinez and Jonny Evans remain injured.

Match Odds

Newcastle are 9/10 to take the victory on Saturday, with a win for the visitors priced at 3/1. The draw can be found at 13/5.

Both teams to score is available at 8/13 and it's 4/6 for over 2.5 goals.

Newcastle to win and both teams to score @ 12/5

This one is a fairly easy one to explain. Newcastle are fantastic at home, Manchester United are really bad, and the visitor's defence is shambolic, as evidenced on Wednesday.

Okay, to expand a little further, the Magpies have won eight of their 10 home games this term, losing only to Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund. They've only lost one of their last four games at St. James' Park to their next opponents, and last season's corresponding fixture saw them run out 2-0 winners. Eddie Howe's side have also already beaten the Red Devils this season, dismantling them 3-0 at Old Trafford in the Carabao Cup, despite them playing a severely weakened side.

Manchester United may be in good Premier League form on paper, winning five of their last six, but I'm not being fooled by that. Those victories came against Everton, Luton, Fulham, Sheffield United and Brentford. Kudos for the three points against the Bees - which they were fortunate to get late on - but the first four teams are, in my opinion, probably in the bottom-five clubs in the division.

When the Red Devils have had to play one of the so-called 'bigger' sides, they've crumbled. In theory, Newcastle's injury list presents a chance for them to get something this weekend, but people said the same in the cup game, and we all know what happened there.

Under the Saturday night lights at St. James', I think it will be all too bright for Bruno Fernandes & co. I've added both teams to score, though, given Manchester United have found the net in their last five and have only failed to score on two occasions in the Premier League. The Toon haven't kept a clean sheet in their last four, either.

Anthony Gordon to score anytime @ 21/10

The Scouser has really found his feet on Tyneside this season, scoring five goals in 12 Premier League appearances for Newcastle. Four of those have come at St. James' Park, and the 22-year-old certainly rises to the occasion, with a goal apiece against Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool.

Those goals against Chelsea and Arsenal came in Newcastle's last two home games, and he has three in his last four there. Gordon should be licking his lips at the latest opposition to try their luck in the North East, with the Red Devils, to put it politely, an absolute shambles at the back.

Diogo Dalot, Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof...does it really matter who Gordon will be running at on Saturday? If form is anything to go by, he should be tearing them to shreds.

I like the odds of him continuing his big-game goalscoring run, particularly as injuries to a whole host of attackers mean he should play most, if not the entirety, of the game.

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