Will Rangnick’s PL waistcoat stay white?

The air is getting thinner for Newcastle United in the bottom of the table. While the current three-point gap to the bottom of the table is not a cause for concern at this stage of the season, the Magpies have also played one or two games more than their direct rivals in the battle to stay in the league. The fact that they have only managed a single treble in 18 matches underlines the problems the newly-rich club is struggling with.

The next attempt to finally get back on track will be made by the white and black next Monday. Then Newcastle will host Manchester United. According to the odds, the English record champions are the favourites, although they are also lagging behind their own expectations, but are now placing high hopes in the hands of Ralf Rangnick.

Duck thus weighs heavily on both teams. Consequently, a footballing treat is not necessarily to be expected. Nor can bets be placed on a particularly high number of goals in view of the recent performances of these clubs. It may therefore be of interest to combine two markets in order to find an exciting Newcastle vs. Manchester United tip. Double chance X2 and a maximum of three goals in the course of the game look promising ahead of Thursday night’s 21:00 kick-off at St James Park.

Newcastle – Statistics & current form

18 games, one win, seven draws and ten defeats! That’s how Newcastle United’s record reads this season. No wonder, then, that the Magpies are currently trailing only Norwich City in the standings, and that only because of the better goal difference and with one game more on the account.

If we look at the last results, it becomes clear relatively quickly where the main problem lies: In the defence! Eleven goals conceded in the last three games is, of course, a catastrophic figure, which does not earn Sean Dyche’s team the negative accolade of the weakest defence in the Premier League for nothing.

Newcastle’s defence continues to cause headaches
In total, 41 goals have already been conceded; even Leeds United, with the second most susceptible backline, had to swallow five goals less. Incidentally, Newcastle have the worst defence in England’s top division for the whole of the 2021 calendar year.

However, the fact that the Magpies seem more stable at home under the new coach than under his predecessor Steve Bruce at least gives hope in this context. Only in one of the last three home games did they concede more than one goal (0:4 against ManCity). Against this backdrop, we could well imagine predicting a maximum of three goals in the match between Newcastle and Manchester United.

Since the aforementioned defeat against the Citizens was the only loss in the last four home games, we should be careful not to focus too much on a three-goal win for the Red Devils, who are also in a slump. Especially at Christmas, the home teams are always particularly motivated, which is why we expect a close game. However, the absence of the suspended Isaac Hayden will weigh particularly heavily on Monday. Aggressive leader Jonjo Shelvey is also a question mark.

Predicted line-up of Newcastle:
Dubravka; Murphy, Lascelles, Schar, Ritchie; Almiron, Longstaff, Willock, Joelinton; Wilson, Saint-Maximin

Last matches played by Newcastle:

Premier League
12/19 2021 – Newcastle United 0 – 4 Manchester City

12/16 2021 – Liverpool FC 3 – 1 Newcastle United

12/12 2021 – Leicester 4 – 0 Newcastle United

12/04 2021 – Newcastle United 1 – 0 Burnley

11/30 2021 – Newcastle United 1 – 1 Norwich

Manchester United – Statistics & current form

For Manchester United, it’s all about staying in touch with the Premier League’s top flight on Thursday night. Currently seventh in the standings, the record champions are already 20 (!) points behind city rivals and leaders Manchester City. They are eight points behind fourth place, although Arsenal FC, based there, have already played three matches more. So with a small winning streak, things can still go up quickly.

The fact that the Red Devils are currently stronger than they were a few weeks ago is primarily due to Ralf Rangnick. Due to personnel problems and a tight schedule, the German coach has not yet had the opportunity to set new impulses in the daily training work, but in the first two Premier League games under his leadership, it became clear where the journey should tend to go.

In both the home match against Crystal Palace and the subsequent match at Norwich City, United recorded 1-0 victories. The game seemed more balanced, the defence more stable and the whole performance more mature and tactically influenced than under Solskjaer. Six points from these two games underline the positive start with the ex-Leipzig player, who is said to have made the four-man defence acceptable in Germany.

United under Rangnick with changed strategy

In light of these impressions, it is therefore a good option to combine odds for at least a point win for the visitors with a relatively low number of goals between Newcastle and Manchester United.

An interesting fun fact on the side, by the way, is that no coach in Manchester United’s history has ever managed to go without conceding a goal in his first three league games. Apart from that, the Magpies suit the record champions quite well. The last four league encounters have all gone to the Red Devils, who have also scored more goals against no other club in first division history than against their upcoming opponents.

However, in view of the recent performances, there is no reason to believe that the Red Devils will score more goals than their opponents, although Ralf Rangnick has an almost complete squad at his disposal for the first time in many weeks. Even the long-term injured Pogba, Varane, Cavani, Martial or Wan-Bissaka could become serious options. Because the last competitive match was more than a fortnight ago due to various cancellations, the issue of fatigue or stress management can be left aside.

Predicted line-up of Manchester United:
De Gea; Dalot, Varane, Maguire, Telles; Fred, McTominay; Sancho, Fernandes; Ronaldo, Rashford

Last matches played by Manchester United:

Premier League
12/11 2021 – Norwich 0 – 1 Manchester United

Champions League Grp. F
12/08 2021 – Manchester United 1 – 1 BSC Young Boys

Premier League
12/05 2021 – Manchester United 1 – 0 Crystal Palace

12/02 2021 – Manchester United 3 – 2 Arsenal London

11/28 2021 – Chelsea London 1 – 1 Manchester United

Newcastle – Manchester United Direct Comparison / H2H Record

The traditional club celebrate an anniversary on Thursday evening. For the 150th time in the best football league in England, the duel Newcastle against Manchester United will take place. With 75 victories, of course, the record champion from Manchester has the lead. The Red Devils have also won the last four Premier League meetings. After all, the Magpies won two of the last four home games against the long-time industry leader. A few days before the turn of the year 2021/2022, however, the cards will be reshuffled.

Newcastle – Manchester United Tip

At the end of the 19th matchday in the Premier League, Newcastle and Manchester United face each other at the start of the week on Monday evening. According to the betting odds, there are no questions left as to which of the two teams is the favourite. The odds on an away win for the Red Devils are decreasing day by day, which is probably partly due to the fact that the Rangnick team’s personnel situation is improving.

Since it is still a bit too risky for us to place a bet on a three-goal win for the visitors, we have decided to play a maximum of double chance X2. We think it is extremely unlikely that the Magpies will win for the second time this season. It is similarly interesting to go for a maximum of three goals in the course of the game. Under the new German coach, defence is more of a trump card for the seventh-placed team in the table than it was before.

We are therefore playing the combined tip between Newcastle and Manchester United on the visitors not losing the encounter and the spectators at St James Park getting to see a maximum of three goals.

Thinkable betting alternatives include the favourites winning the match to nil. It would be the third win in the third match under Rangnick, or a bet on the visitors only taking control of the match in the second half after initial difficulties. Here, the double result HTX/FT2 would be a fitting solution.