St James’ Park sets the stage for a handsomely-looking Premier League showdown between Newcastle United and Manchester United.
Ruben Amorim’s charges were second away from beating Lyon in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final tie on Thursday.
However, two sloppy reactions from much-maligned goalkeeper Andre Onana condemned the Red Devils to a 2-2 draw at the Groupama Stadium.
Young centre-back Leny Yoro scored his first goal for Man Utd since joining the club from Lille for a substantial transfer fee of €62 million last summer to draw his side level on the stroke of half-time.
Joshua Zirkzee turned the game on its head in the 88th minute, prompting broad plaudits from Amorim, who thanked the Old Trafford faithful ‘for helping the Dutchman regain form’ via the Daily Mail.
However, Onana’s scrappy intervention in second-half stoppages allowed Lyon to put things back to square one ahead of next week’s return fixture at the Theatre of Dreams.
With much of United’s ambitions for next season hinging on lifting the Europa League title for the first time since 2017, this daunting trip to Tyneside is undoubtedly an unwelcome distraction.
Reversed fortunes
Despite dominating the all-time head-to-head record against Newcastle, Man Utd have recently grown to loathe this match-up, with the Magpies turning the tables on the record-time English champions.
A 2-0 defeat in December’s reverse fixture puts the Red Devils at risk of losing both league meetings with Newcastle in a single season for the first time since 1930/31.
Having already set several unwanted records during his relatively brief stint in the dugout, Amorim would likely be desperate to avoid another negative feat this weekend.
That could prove easier said than done, considering Eddie Howe’s men have got the better of United in their last two encounters on this ground without conceding.
As if that’s not troubling enough, Man Utd’s last away win against the Magpies dates back to 2020, highlighting the magnitude of the task awaiting them on Sunday.
High-flying rival
According to the Daily Record, Howe had to pull out of Friday’s pre-match conference due to illness.
However, that shouldn’t stop the 47-year-old manager from attending the game this weekend as his Newcastle side seek a fourth consecutive win in the Premier League.
Reluctant to rest on their laurels after beating Liverpool in the League Cup final on the eve of March’s international break, Newcastle have dispatched Brentford and Leicester City in their last two league outings.
In doing so, the Magpies have equalled Chelsea’s points tally in fourth, consolidating their pursuit of a second top-four finish in three years.
Extending this purple patch will likely rest on Newcastle’s ability to hold Man Utd at bay, considering they’ve not won this fixture when both teams found the net since 2001 (D5, L29 since).
Rough patch
In stark contrast to Newcastle’s rip-roaring sequence, Man Utd head into proceedings amid a three-match winless run across all competitions (D2, L1), featuring a scoreless draw against Manchester City last weekend.
However, United’s only defeat in that stretch remains their only loss inside 90 minutes in ten games (W3, D6), suggesting Amorim has turned the corner after an underwhelming start.
The ex-Sporting CP boss would probably appreciate a more aggressive approach from his side after the Red Devils netted just one goal inside the first 15 minutes during this Premier League season.
Achieving that feat outside Old Trafford could be a tall order, knowing Man Utd have only won once in their last four away league games (D1, L2), failing to score in both losses.
How could Man Utd line up?
(3-4-2-1): Onana; Mazraoui, Maguire, Yoro; Dalot, Casemiro, Ugarte, Dorgu; Fernandes, Garnacho; Hojlund.