Newcastle United will be tested today when they face Leicester City at the King Power Stadium.
Newcastle United are desperate for points today. Just when most pundits thought the Magpies were in the clear for survival, they have been dragged back in to the relegation mix after losing to Crystal Palace last weekend. Leicester City have been in top form since the arrival of Brendan Rodgers and their recent form rightfully makes them the favorites to win today.
Leicester City have climbed the table in recent weeks and they sit in seventh place with 47 points. The Foxes have won their last three games and they will not lack confidence against Newcastle today. The Magpies need to get something out of this game after losing two straight matches, but will Rafa Benitez find a way to turn his team’s form around?
What to Expect
Seeing that Leicester City have scored seven goals in their last three matches, Newcastle’s back-line can expect to be busy today. The Foxes’ top scorers, Jamie Vardy and James Maddison, have scored 22 of the team’s 46 goals this season. That being the case, the Toon Army should expect to see their best defenders, Fabian Schar and Jamaal Lascelles, track the movements of Vardy and Maddison all game.
📺 You can now watch Rafa Benítez's pre-@LCFC media briefing in full on NUFC TV.https://t.co/lSiXq3sNMZ #NUFC pic.twitter.com/4pwtVcQEm0
— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) April 11, 2019
Just because Leicester City are being tapped to win this game does not mean Newcastle should be counted out. The Magpies have been innovative up top in recent weeks, but they have lacked precision in front of goal in their last two matches. Benitez knows that Leicester City play at a fast pace, so we can expect the Magpies to deploy a 3-4-2-1 formation to play toe-to-toe with Leicester City.
All eyes will be on Miguel Almiron, Salomon Rondon and Ayoze Perez. The attacking trio will be under pressure to perform, but a quick goal for Newcastle would surely cause some panic on the opposing bench. Leicester City’s offense is much better than their defense. Newcastle just need to find a way to expose Leicester’s back-line today, and the best strategy will be to build most attacks through the feet of Almiron. This will be an open match in midfield, so both sets of supporters can expect to see plenty of chances created on both ends of the pitch.
Prediction: Leicester City 1-1 Newcastle