After playing to a 1-1 draw at St. James’ Park last weekend, Newcastle United and Blackburn will meet again tomorrow to fight for a spot in the fourth round of the FA Cup tournament.
Newcastle United only managed to earn a draw against Blackburn at St. James’ Park last weekend and now the Magpies must travel to Ewood Park for the replay of this FA Cup third round fixture. The first meeting between these teams was more competitive than most people expected, and Rafa Benitez stated that he was not pleased with the way his players performed.
After losing to Chelsea in Premier League action this weekend, Newcastle continued their struggle in league play as they have only claimed one victory from their last nine matches. After a hot streak in November, the Magpies have hit a wall and they now find themselves among the bottom three.
This poor form in league play could very well impact how Benitez decides to play against a Championship outfit on the road in the FA Cup. Will Newcastle try and win for the sake of their pride as a top tier club or will they play with youngsters hoping to lose and focus on their relegation battle? We shall see.
Tomorrow’s Match
It is likely that Benitez will stick to the same squad, or at least a lineup that is very similar, to the one that played against Blackburn last weekend. Newcastle had plenty of chances to finish the game in the first half, but poor precision and decision making were major problems for the home side. Blackburn got off to a slow start last time, but they grew in confidence and it would not be a surprise to see the Rovers attack the Magpies from the opening whistle.
Players like Bradley Dack and Danny Graham bullied Newcastle’s back-line with ease for most of the match and they could be the difference-makers tomorrow as well. Predicting how Newcastle will play is pretty complicated because deep down Benitez surely did not want to participate in two third round matches.
On one end, Newcastle could play lights out football and win the match to gain some confidence ahead of their big Premier League match against Cardiff City on Saturday. On the other end, Newcastle could play a ton of youngsters who will struggle to compete and will lose to put an end to this FA Cup distraction, at least that is what I perceive the competition to be this season.
That being said, Benitez will be on the sideline urging his players to compete and showcase their talent. He knows the youngsters on his reserve squads lack the quality to play in the Top Flight, so if they want more playing time then they must win to earn 90 more minutes in the FA Cup.
Match Prediction: Blackburn Rovers 2-1 Newcastle United