Leeds United welcome Newcastle United to Elland Road in a tasty midweek clash in the Premier League between the competition’s two most northern teams.
Leeds could climb above Newcastle and as high as 12th with victory, whereas the Magpies could potentially rise temporarily to ninth at best if Manchester City lose to West Brom on Tuesday evening.
Team News
Leeds have no fresh injury concerns to report after Friday’s defeat to West Ham as Diego Llorente (groin), Adam Forshaw (hip), Gaetano Berardi and Robin Koch (both knee) all remain absent.
Newcastle could welcome Jamaal Lascelles and Ryan Fraser back from respective thigh and hamstring injuries.
Allan Saint-Maximin (calf) and Federico Fernandez (Coronavirus) are also in contention to return but Paul Dummett (hamstring) and Martin Dubravka (Achilles) are still ruled out, although Dubravka could be available for next Tuesday’s Carabao Cup trip to Brentford.
Stat Attack
- Leeds are winless in their last six meetings against Newcastle in all competitions (D2, L4).
- Newcastle have lost one of their last seven league visits to Elland Road (W5, D1, L1).
- Just five Leeds players from their last team sheet against Newcastle in April 2017 still play for the Whites (Luke Ayling, Gaetano Berardi, Kalvin Phillips, Pablo Hernandez and Stuart Dallas).
- In 22 previous Premier League meetings between Leeds and Newcastle, neither team have been awarded a penalty in this fixture.
- Newcastle’s Karl Darlow has made 11 goal-saving punches in 11 league appearances this season, averaging one punch every match.
Prediction
Defensive mistakes and a lack of finishing after scoring early continue to be Leeds’ biggest issues, particularly when it comes to aerial defending given how clinical West Ham were during set pieces on Friday which is an aspect that Newcastle are good at too on their day.
Newcastle meanwhile didn’t seem affected by their Coronavirus induced shutdown with a lightning start on Saturday against West Brom before calmly holding their nerve to find that late winner, although their defending during West Brom’s equaliser was poor with a lack of effort to at least track the destination of Matt Phillips’ cross to try and clear it.
Either way, I feel like this could be a scrappy contest but if Newcastle turn up and are able to dominate on the front foot whilst exposing Leeds’ defensive deficiencies, I can see them getting another away win over a promoted Yorkshire team live on Amazon Prime after beating Sheffield United a year ago in similar fashion albeit on a Thursday rather than Wednesday.
Prediction: Leeds United 0-2 Newcastle United
Result: Leeds United 5-2 Newcastle United
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