Manchester United vs Newcastle United
Newcastle United are keen on sneaking into the top half of the Premier League table, and the Magpies are poised to do so in Matchday 18, where they’ll visit Manchester United at Old Trafford this Friday evening.
Eddie Howe’s men enter this lone Boxing Day game in a buoyant mood after winning 2-1 against Fulham in the EFL Cup quarter-finals before being held to a 2-2 draw by Chelsea last weekend. Newcastle United are 11th in the English top-flight standings with 23 points, level with 12th-seeded Brentford and 13th-seeded Fulham and one point behind 10th-seeded Everton.
On the other hand, Manchester United are winless in three of their last four league games, including yesterday’s 2-1 loss at Aston Villa. Ruben Amorim’s side is stuck in seventh place with 26 points, level with eighth-seeded Crystal Palace.
Learn more about these two teams ahead of Boxing Day in today’s SBOTOP preview.
Talking Points
Fernandes might be out for a while for Manchester United
Manchester United are going through a difficult run of form. Ruben Amorim’s men are still reeling from yesterday’s defeat to Aston Villa, and now they face another major setback: the absence of their skipper, Bruno Fernandes.
Fernandes sustained a muscle injury after colliding with Amadou Onana in the first half. The Portuguese midfielder wanted to continue, but he was eventually forced off the pitch while clearly in pain.
Losing Fernandes is a huge blow to the team’s morale, especially since he’s one of their most consistent players. This season, Fernandes has five league goals and seven assists while playing in various positions on the pitch.
Besides Fernandes, Manchester United will continue to be without centre-backs Harry Maguire and Matthijs de Ligt due to injuries. Kobbie Mainoo, absent against the Villans, is questionable due to a calf knock. Bryan Mbeumo, Noussair Mazraoui, and Amad Diallo are not with the team in the next few matches because they’re competing in the Africa Cup of Nations.
Amorim could be compelled to tinker with his starting XI against Newcastle United, as Leny Yoro, Diogo Dalot, and Manuel Ugarte are struggling, and Lisandro Martinez showed flashes of his versatility in midfield.
Woltemade on target for Newcastle United
After failing to find the back of the net in six consecutive games across all competitions this December, Nick Woltemade finally returned on the scoresheet by bagging a brace against Chelsea. The German striker scored a tap-in in the fourth minute before finishing a wonderful cross from Anthony Gordon 16 minutes later.
Unfortunately for the Magpies, they failed to get three points, as Reece James and Joao Pedro drew level in the second half. They have now conceded in their last 10 Premier League matches – a run that head coach Eddie Howe must address.
Furthermore, Howe could consider bringing Yoane Wissa into the starting XI against Manchester United since Jacob Murphy didn’t have a great game against Chelsea.
History
Manchester United have lost four of their last five Premier League games against Newcastle United (W1), which is as many as they had in their previous 38 against the Magpies (W25, D9). The Magpies completed a league double over the Red Devils last term, but they’ve not won consecutive visits to Old Trafford since March 1935.
However, Manchester United have won all three of their Premier League Boxing Day matches against Newcastle United under three different managers: 4-3 in 2012 under Sir Alex Ferguson, 3-1 in 2014 under Louis van Gaal, and 4-1 in 2019 under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe has won seven of his 13 Boxing Day league games (D3, L3), including five outside of the English top-flight as Bournemouth and Burnley boss between 2009 and 2014.
Betting Tip
The Premier League 2025 odds expect a close match between Manchester United and Newcastle United. Because they’re playing at home, the Red Devils have the slight edge at 2.31, while the Magpies aren’t far behind at 2.68, and a draw is valued at 3.37 in the 1X2 market. However, with Manchester United missing several key players, it’s hard to see them win.
Fans at Old Trafford can expect their usual dose of Premier League 2025 highlights on Boxing Day. Besides our recommended bet, bettors may also consider adding Over 2.50 at 1.68, Over 2.75 at 1.82, and Total Goals 2-3 at 2.05 to the parlay. Moreover, a Correct Score of 4-1 in favour of Newcastle United – the result of their last league encounter – is on offer at a staggering 65.00 your bet.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT)
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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