Newcastle United can climb back up the table towards the European places with a win against high flyers Manchester United at home.
Newcastle will want to play well after a string of bad results that has seen their league position slide downwards. This is not a fixture they have done well in throughout the last few meetings and they should be confident and determined for this to change. They have the edge in terms of support and also the fact that their opponents have so many key injuries. Newcastle are 9/2 with a few bookies to win.
Manchester United know that they have been very lucky to be let off the hook following their last defeat against Blackburn at home. Three points will help them to maintain their position at the top of the table and it will also give them a lot of belief that they can last the distance this season. They have been poor in the last few weeks and a big win here could get their New Year going. United are 3/4 with Paddy Power.
Newcastle are very good at playing the ball into their strikers through the middle of the pitch but they may have to try something a little different if they want to break through a stubborn United defence. The best approach is for Newcastle to play wider and try to get the ball in behind the United defence which is where Blackburn had a lot of success. Newcastle to win the match 2-1 has odds of 18s with Boylesports.
Manchester United will expect Newcastle to start fast which means they may have to sit deep for the opening stages of the match. This is something they will be prepared to do and this is something that will work in their favour because they are very effective on the counter attack. The away team can soak up a lot of pressure and are likely to work hard on their defence in training after conceding three against Blackburn. A 2-0 away win is 15/2 with William Hill.
Demba Ba has been carrying the Newcastle attack for the last few matches and the pressure will be across his shoulders once again in this fixture. Ba has the pace and the skill on the ball needed to create something a little special against Manchester United. Ba has also proved this season that he is very good in the air and also that he can improvise when he has to which will give him more chances to score goals. Ba is 15/2 to score first with 188bet.
Wayne Rooney did not feature at all during the match against Blackburn and is likely to go straight back into the starting eleven for this match. Rooney is the one player that United rely on at the moment because of his proven skill over a number of seasons. He will lead the attack and will be looking to make a point. He is 19/4 with Victor Chandler to grab the first goal.
Leave a Reply