Newcastle-Liverpool is a match valid for the twenty-fourth day of the Premier League and is played on Saturday at 6:30pm: TV, formations, predictions.
Last Monday Liverpool returned to victory in the Premier League and did so in one of the most heartfelt matches of the season: the derby with Everton. The Toffees were a little scary after the change in the bench (Dyche in place of Lampard) and the unpredictable success against Arsenal, but on the night at Anfield everything went smoothly. Or almost.
First Salah and then January’s new signing Gakpo, with one goal each, extinguished any hopes of their cousins, giving Jurgen Klopp his first three points since last December. However, the situation remains complicated as far as the league is concerned. Together with Chelsea, the other big disappointment, the Reds risk not playing in the Champions League. They are behind in the league table, but compared to the Blues they are a little better off. Firstly because the current fourth, Newcastle, have played an extra match. Secondly, Liverpool’s next Premier League match will be played in the Magpies’ fortress, and a win could bring them to within six points of the Bianconeri. However, the direct clash with Eddie Howe’s men has the flavour of a last call for Salah and his team-mates, who will also have to face Real Madrid in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 in a sort of rematch of last May’s final in Paris.
Last call for the Reds
The feeling is that the Magpies also have a lot at stake. After Arsenal’s defeat to Manchester City they remained the only ones not to have lost at home
Howe
In the last few days, however, they have lowered their engine revs, drawing three times in a row with in-form opponents such as Crystal Palace, West Ham and Bournemouth and barely scoring two goals. In between those games were the two League Cup semi-finals, both won against Southampton: in seven days’ time they will have the chance to win a title after a long time in the Wembley final with Manchester United.
The Prediction
Newcastle have not lost in the Premier League since August and have only conceded six goals in their unbeaten stadium. St James’ Park is practically a fortress. On the other hand, Liverpool gave back important signs of life in the derby but, although they have no other options, they do not seem ready to expose the Magpies’ home, especially with the Champions League challenge with Real Madrid on the horizon. Howe’s team are likely to avoid defeat in a contest of at least one goal each side.
The Newcastle-Liverpool line-up probables
- NEWCASTLE (4-3-3): Pope; Trippier, Schar, Botman, Burn; Almiron, Longstaff, Joelinton; Saint-Maximin, Isak, Gordon.
- LIVERPOOL (4-3-3): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, van Dijk, Robertson; Bajcetic, Fabinho, Henderson; Salah, Darwin Nunez, Gakpo.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 1-1
