Manchester United and Newcastle United square off for the first piece of domestic silverware on Sunday, 26th February, at Wembley Stadium in an effort to snap their respective trophy droughts.
In order to qualify for the championship game, the Red Devils thrashed Nottingham Forest 5-0 on aggregate, while Eddie Howe’s young players defeated Southampton 3-1 over the course of two legs in the semifinals.
Match Preview
To return Man United to its past glory, Erik ten Hag still has a difficult and lengthy task ahead of him, but defeating Barcelona and winning a trophy in a short period of time would be a huge step in the right direction for the highly regarded Dutchman.
The Red Devils have managed to dodge the top English clubs to advance to Wembley while still conducting themselves professionally.
They have defeated Aston Villa, Burnley, Charlton Athletic, and Nottingham Forest to make it to their first domestic cup final since the 2017–18 FA Cup.
A quadruple offering of trophies remains a distinct possibility for Man United, who advanced to the last 16 of the Europa League on Thursday night with a 2-1 win over Barcelona.
Antony and Fred completed the comeback after Robert Lewandowski’s penalty kick to give the Red Devils a 4-3 aggregate win. Man United have scored at least two goals in each of their EFL Cup games thus far and have kept clean sheets in each of their last four.
Man United head to Wembley with a nine-game unbeaten record across all competitions, and they have scored at least twice in each of those games. They are also aiming for success in the FA Cup and threatening to upset Arsenal and Manchester City in the Premier League.
With five of their previous nine EFL Cup finals ending with the Manchester giants hoisting the trophy in the air, the Red Devils will be playing in their tenth final on Sunday.
Regardless of what happens over the course of 90 or 120 minutes this weekend, Ten Hag will already be the first Dutch manager to serve as the match’s head coach.
Paradoxically, Ruud Gullit oversaw Newcastle’s 2-0 loss to Man United in the 1998–1999 FA Cup final, the first time a Dutch manager failed to win an English cup final. Yet, the chances are already in Ten Hag’s favor to avoid the same fate in this case.
Newcastle’s market activity has undoubtedly contributed to their meteoric rise from the depths, but Howe’s admirable work has not gone unnoticed.
Newcastle has gone about their transfer business with due diligence since their lucrative takeover to stay in compliance with Financial Fair Play regulations.
Newcastle has won a trip to Wembley for the first time in 24 years after defeating Tranmere Rovers, Bournemouth, Crystal Palace, Leicester City, and Southampton. The Magpies are now aiming to win the EFL Cup for the first time in their historic history.
The 10-man Magpies nevertheless threatened to expose the Reds’ defensive frailties and then some, despite Howe’s squad going through an unfavorable stretch of Premier League form, losing each of their last four games and losing just their second game in the top level against Liverpool.
Manchester United V Newcastle Team News
Marcus Rashford’s social media post on Friday morning after leaving the match against Barcelona on a limp raised concerns about a potential injury, but he will undoubtedly make every effort to be ready for the championship game.
Christian Eriksen and Donny van de Beek are also certain to miss the championship game for the Red Devils, and Anthony Martial’s recovery from a hip injury is also doubtful.
But, Harry and Antony Maguire recovered from their injuries in time to play on Thursday. Harry Maguire’s impressive performance off the bench may have earned him a starting spot over Wout Weghorst, who was benched at halftime against Barcelona after another unproductive performance.
Weghorst is one of the few players who can physically compete with Dan Burn, but his streak of 11 straight starts could end if Ten Hag thinks that the revitalized Jadon Sancho has done enough to merit a start at Wembley from the opening whistle.
In the meantime, it’s not surprising that the Newcastle goalkeeper situation has dominated team talk leading up to the EFL Cup final.
Nick Pope is suspended after receiving a red card against Liverpool, and his backup, ex-Manchester United loanee Martin Dubravka, is also cup-tied, along with Anthony Gordon.
As a result, Loris Karius, who hasn’t played for an English team since that night in Kyiv for the 2018 Champions League final, might finally have a happily ever after.
On a more positive note, Bruno Guimaraes may rejoin an injured midfield after serving his domestic suspension.
Emil Krafth, an ACL casualty, will be the only guaranteed injury absence for the Magpies in this match. Howe is hoping that Joelinton and Joe Willock can overcome their thigh issues in order to play; if both players are deemed fit, the former should take the early lead in that intense competition.
Probable Lineup
Manchester United Probable Starting Lineup:
De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Varane, Martinez, Shaw; Casemiro, Fred; Antony, Fernandes, Sancho; Rashford.
Newcastle United Probable Starting Lineup:
Karius; Trippier, Schar, Botman, Burn; Longstaff, Guimaraes, Joelinton; Almiron, Wilson, Saint-Maximin.
Manchester United V Newcastle Prediction
The significance of Guimaraes’s return to Newcastle’s base of the midfield cannot be emphasized.
Newcastle is not the same defensive power that they were only a few weeks ago, and Man United won’t need a second invitation to test the gloves of the out-of-practice Karius.
The Red Devils will likely have to suffer a grueling 120 minutes of play due to Rashford’s potential injury and weariness from Thursday night. But, Newcastle’s recent lack of attacking incisiveness could make the difference as Man United move closer to a glittering quadruple.
We predict Newcastle will triumph 1-0 over in-form Manchester United.
