Newcastle United to eke past Blackburn Rovers in the FA Cup third round
Newcastle United host Blackburn Rovers in the third round of the FA Cup on Saturday. The two sides enter the famed tournament at the same stage with progression in sight. Despite wanting to go deep into the FA Cup, both clubs will have their league positions on their minds.
Newcastle are just two points above the relegation zone while Blackburn are nine points from the playoff places in the Championship. An extended run in the FA Cup could hurt the duo’s league objectives.
Rafael Benitez’s Magpies go into the match having won just once in their last six matches. Newcastle fell 2-0 to Manchester United in midweek as they suffered their 11th loss of the campaign. Goals continue to be hard to come by as Newcastle have tallied the second fewest in the Premier League (15). Newcastle may not score many goals, but they don’t ship many either. A Benitez team is always tough to break down and Newcastle is no different. The Magpies have allowed just 29 strikes this term.
Blackburn’s recent 2-1 win over West Brom Albion ended a three-match losing streak in the Championship. Tony Mowbray’s side, like Newcastle, have had difficulty finding the back of the net. Blackburn have registered a –8-goal difference with just 33 goals scored.
The two English clubs played as recently as the 2016-17 Championship season. The pair met in the Championship prior to Newcastle’s promotion to the Premier League. Those two matches ended in wins for Blackburn as they outscored Newcastle by a combined score of 2-0. In all competitions over their last six meetings, however, the clubs have won three games each. In 2012, Newcastle played Blackburn in the FA Cup. Th Magpies came out on top of that affair with a 2-1 win. That game was six years ago and both clubs are far different now.
Benitez will be without midfielder Mo Diame after he suffered an injury against Manchester United. Diame’s injury isn’t serious, but Benitez won’t risk him as Premier League survival is Newcastle’s true objective. The manager is expected to give starts to Sean Longstaff and Florian Lejeune. The former has spent much of the season on the bench while the latter is returning from injury.
Newcastle may not be playing well in the Premier League, but they are still miles ahead of Blackburn Rovers. The Magpies will find a goal at home to give them the win and progression. Newcastle are the sportsbooks’ favourite going into the FA Cup clash.
The fixture should see a low score with just one side finding the back of the net. That one side will be Newcastle as they eke past Blackburn at St. James’ Park.
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