Forceful Magpies visit fourth division side
This is the 63rd time the English League Cup has been played and despite its already long history, the competition is still ridiculed in many quarters. The shortest route to Europe enjoys little prestige in England and that is why there are always surprises in this competition. The second round is scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, with 13 teams from the Premier League taking part for the first time. A clash of opposites will kick off on Wednesday at Prenton Park between Tranmere and Newcastle.
The home side are based in the fourth-tier League Two and cannot exactly speak of a satisfactory start to the season. The nouveau riche visitors from the north of England have already presented themselves in very good form throughout the 2022 calendar year. In the current season, the Howe eleven is still unbeaten. Doubts that this could change on Wednesday are not really given, as betting odds of just 1.30 are offered for the visitors in Tranmere v Newcastle.
While in the League Cup the underdogs often play with their best line-up, as it is an absolute highlight of the season, the favourites like to rotate through. However, this does not change the role of the favourites, victory will only come through the Magpies. The match kicks off at 20:45 on Wednesday.
Tranmere – Statistics & current form
In the 2015/16 season, the club from the Wirral Peninsula lost their status as a professional team. For the first time in 94 years (!) Tranmere Rovers were no longer in one of the four highest professional leagues in the country. The return to paid football was thanks to Scottish head coach Micky Mellon, who led the club to League Two in 2017/18. But that wasn’t all, a year later they even made it through to League One.
Head coach Mellon returns
In that very same third division, the club reached its limits and had to cope with direct relegation. This was tantamount to the end of the Micky Mellon era, who moved to his native Scotland to join Dundee United. But after only one year, there was to be a reunion, and at the beginning of the last season, the Scot was once again introduced as Tranmere coach.
With ninth place in the table, there was a drop of two positions compared to the 2020/21 season, but Rovers collected two points more. With 75 points, they just missed the promotion play-offs by a whisker. Mellon is a coach who does not practise modern attacking football, rather the emphasis is on defence.
In 2021/22, only 53 goals were scored in 46 league games, while the defence conceded only 40 goals. Goal festivals are absolutely rare, so even a goal against a first-division team would be a surprise. The more obvious prediction between Tranmere and Newcastle is that not both teams will score.
Predicted line-up of Tranmere:
Doohan – Bristow, Turnbull, Jameson, Byrne, Dacres-Cogley – McAlear, Merrie – Lewis – Nevitt, Hemmings
Last games played by Tranmere:
League Two
20/08/2022 – Newport 2 – 1 Tranmere
17/08/2022 – Hartlepool 0 – 0 Tranmere
13/08/2022 – Tranmere 3 – 0 Gillingham
Carabao Cup
10/08/2022 – Accrington (11)2 – 2(12) Tranmere
League Two
06/08/2022 – Mansfield 1 – 0 Tranmere
Newcastle – Statistics & current form
Where the journey is to go with the Magpies is clear to everyone. Money is no longer an issue and with the owners from Saudi Arabia, who are certainly worthy of discussion, Champions League qualification will be an absolute must sooner or later. A goal, however, that cannot be achieved overnight, because despite the financial possibilities, Newcastle cannot convince every star of this project.
Bear strong in 2022
After the official entry, it was once about Newcastle keeping the league at all. An endeavour which, thanks to the signing of head coach Eddie Howe, finally succeeded more than confidently. The really big names were not signed in the winter of 2022, but the quality boost was clearly visible. If you look at the 2022 table in the English Premier League, Newcastle United are already a top team. With 43 points in 22 games, the Magpies rank fifth in this evaluation.
That Newcastle have the quality to compete against the best teams was once again evident in their 3-3 draw with Manchester City last weekend. The Champions League is perhaps still a little too high this season, but Newcastle is definitely a candidate in the fight for the international starting places.
The three goals conceded against the Skyblues were the first goals conceded for Newcastle this season. The Howe eleven has clearly stabilised in all respects, which is particularly evident in the fact that only Liverpool and Manchester City conceded fewer goals in 2022. Even though the Magpies will make some changes in the EFL Cup, betting on a win to nil between Tranmere and Newcastle is a good option.
Predicted Newcastle line-up:
Dubravka – Ritchie, Lascelles, Schär, Krafth – Longstaff, Anderson, Almiron – Fraser, Wood, Murphy
Last matches played by Newcastle:
Premier League
21/08/2022 – Newcastle 3 – 3 Manchester City
13/08/2022 – Brighton 0 – 0 Newcastle
06/08/2022 – Newcastle 2 – 0 Nottingham Forest
Club friendlies
30/07/2022 – Newcastle 2 – 1 Athletic Bilbao
30/07/2022 – Newcastle 1 – 0 Atalanta Bergamo
Tranmere – Newcastle Direct comparison / H2H balance
Tranmere and Newcastle have faced each other nine times in competitive matches. A bet on a draw between Tranmere and Newcastle has never been crowned with success. The first two matches were played in 1938/39, after which it took until the 1990s before the blades crossed again. The last meeting to date was on 20 February 2000, when Newcastle narrowly won 3-2 in the FA Cup quarter-finals.
Tranmere – Newcastle Tip
David against Goliath – the starting position in this clash between the four-league club and one of the strongest Premier League teams in 2022 could hardly be more different. The EFL Cup always brings surprises, but there are no signs that there will be any at Prenton Park on Wednesday. However, between Tranmere and Newcastle, the regular betting on the away win is not particularly lucrative.
With the bets “Newcastle win 0” and “Both teams score? No”, two attractive options have already been worked out. However, we see the greatest value in the match between Tranmere and Newcastle in the prediction Newcastle -2.5. Betting odds of up to 3.00 seem extremely interesting and justify a stake of five units. The visitors from the north of England are in excellent form and can also win with a B-team
