Newcastle vs Southampton Predictions
- Both teams have scored in Southampton’s last four away games
- Newcastle would have conceded in the first-leg if it wasn’t for Nick Pope
- Southampton trail 1-0 from last Tuesday and will have to have a go at some point
Trappy second-leg could see drama and goals
Newcastle can squeeze past Southampton and into their first cup final in more than 20 years if they keep their cool in Tuesday’s second leg.Eddie Howe’s side inched into a half-time lead over the tie thanks to Joelinton’s close-range finish before the Saints had a quick equaliser ruled out for handball after VAR checked it. It was the correct call, as was the one to rule out Joelinton’s first-half effort and also most of the numerous yellow cards in a tense game too.
The second-leg, in front of over 50,000 expectant Geordie fans, will be full of tension too and there are some simmering feuds between the two sides that won’t take long to resurface.
Discipline will be the key
Discipline will be the key on both sides, although the tackles are bound to be flying in again as a result of the competition rules stating that no player will miss the final on accumulation of yellow cards.That was probably why Stuart Attwell was forced to issue nine cautions and a second yellow to Duje Caleta-Car which left Saints to finish the game with ten men. The Croatian served his suspension over the weekend, however, so is free to resume battle with the Magpies on Tuesday.
Given the trappy nature of this game because of the fact that Newcastle do not need to win to secure their Wembley berth, the match result market is best swerved unless you think Southampton are going to go up to the North East and eliminate the hosts. But their results and performances – after another disjointed showing against Blackpool on Saturday – do not suggest that is going to happen.
Expect goals at St James’ Park
Backing both teams to score would be going against the grain of recent Newcastle games as United have kept ten straight clean sheets against Premier League opponents. But that run cannot go on forever and Saints were the last top-flight club to score against them.Nick Pope has been a huge reason for that sequence – he made world-class saves against Crystal Palace and Southampton recently, but there has also been some good fortune – Aleksandar Mitrovic’s double-struck penalty being one such example.
A 2-1 Newcastle win is the scoreline most likely to result when these two teams meet again so quickly – Southampton have conceded 12 goals in their last seven road games at an average of over 1.7 and Newcastle cannot stay perfect at the back for ever.