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Manchester United vs Newcastle predictions
- Manchester United to win – 23/20 with 10Bet
- Under 2.5 goals - 19/20 with bet365
- Scott McTominay over 0.5 shots on target - 6/4 with bet365
The storm clouds are gathering over Old Trafford once more after an underwhelming start to the season and Wednesday’s EFL Cup last 16 tie with Newcastle has suddenly taken on an added importance.
Manchester United beat the Magpies in the final of this competition last February to claim the first trophy of the Erik ten Hag era and end a six-year spell without silverware.
The Red Devils were comfortable winners that day and ended the season back at Wembley after reaching the FA Cup final, where they lost to Manchester City.
But much of the belief generated by those cup runs that Ten Hag is the right man for United has evaporated after a dreadful start to the season in which the EFL Cup holders have lost half of their 14 games in all competitions, most recently getting turned over 3-0 by neighbours Manchester City at home.
Now, their grip on the League Cup is under serious threat from an in-form Newcastle team that put out Manchester City in the last round and has lost just one of the last 10 games in all competitions.
But the Magpies have a growing injury list, which is making a jam-packed fixture list harder to navigate and leaving them vulnerable.
Defeat for Newcastle on Wednesday would be disappointing, but it wouldn’t ruin their season. Another loss for Manchester United may have far bigger consequences and their greater need to win makes them a strong option on football betting sites.
Desperate United may edge into quarter-finals
Newcastle are desperate to end the ongoing 68-year wait for a major trophy that hangs around the club’s neck like a millstone and the EFL Cup is probably their best opportunity to clinch silverware.
But with Champions League football added to the agenda this season, Howe is having to keep a lot of plates spinning and the League Cup has slipped down the list of priorities.
Howe made 10 changes for the tie with Manchester City and saw his team produce an excellent second half showing to dump out the pre-tournament favourites with bookmakers.
A similarly resolute performance is expected from a team likely to feature Martin Dubravka, Lewis Hall, Tino Livramento and Joe Willock.
Some holes are easier to fill than others though and the absences of Sandro Tonali, Harvey Barnes, Jacob Murphy, Sven Botman and Alexander Isak have left Howe with a few quandaries as he keeps one eye on Saturday’s league game against Arsenal.
The clash with the Gunners is the priority for Newcastle and it may be a very different side Howe sends out compared to the ones that have been taking the Premier League by storm.
A weakened Newcastle team offers Manchester United a golden opportunity to respond to Sunday’s mauling in the Manchester derby.
United were second best in every department against City and haven’t played well for some time with their recent victories over Copenhagen and Brentford having more than a hint of good fortune about them.
But the EFL Cup offers Ten Hag an excuse to drop his underperforming stars such as Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes, and bring in Alejandro Garnacho and Hannibal Mejbri.
Garnacho’s style of play may marry up better with star striker Rasmus Hojlund, who has been sorely misused by United since his summer switch to Old Trafford.
Expect Newcastle to sit back, soak up the pressure and try to play on the counter. If United can contain them and get the ball to Hojlund more in the areas he wants it, then they have a chance to produce a positive response to Sunday’s horror show.
Goals not forthcoming at Old Trafford
Sunday’s 3-0 loss to City was the second time in the last five home matches in which United have failed to score.
Hojlund isn’t getting the kind of service he needs to thrive, while the form of Fernandes and Rashford has nosedived.
Newcastle won’t make it easy for their hosts to play through them and kept two clean sheets across three meetings with the Red Devils last season. All three games finished with under 2.5 goals and bet365 are offering 19/20 on this being another low scoring clash.
The Magpies are short of attacking options with Isak sidelined until after the international break, while Callum Wilson’s minutes are being carefully managed due to his injury past.
Instead, Howe has indicated Anthony Gordon could lead the line for Newcastle for the first time this season.
It’s a role Gordon has fulfilled on just a handful of occasions in his senior career and while he’s having a good season in front of goal, netting three times, he doesn’t carry the same kind of threat as Wilson or Isak.
Great Scot carries a threat
United’s recent list of goalscorers makes for interesting reading with the last seven goals scored by a combination of Hojlund, Harry Maguire, Diogo Dalot and Scott McTominay.
Of that quartet, McTominay has bagged three times and the Scotland international may be an important attacking outlet for the home side in this last 16 encounter.
McTominay has scored four goals in total for club and country this season and even with United finding it tough to open up City at the weekend, he still managed to hit the target twice.
The 26-year-old has managed to register a shot on target with just under half of his 16 attempts recently and has had at least two shots inside the frame of the goal in his last four games for the Red Devils.
New sports betting sites still seem to be catching up with McTominay’s new-found attacking intent and he’s 6/4 with bet365 to have one shot on target.
Tip: Scott McTominay over 0.5 shots on target - 6/4 with bet365
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Last Updated: 14th March 2024, 07:22 AM
