Preview: Newcastle are 90 minutes away from Final 16

Newcastle United will host Oxford United at St. James’ Park tomorrow and a win would send the Magpies flying into the Final 16 of the FA Cup.

Newcastle United’s momentum in the Premier League will be put on hold this weekend as they turn their attention to the fourth round of the FA Cup. The Magpies will host League One outfit Oxford United and they will look to avoid another shocking upset at the hands of the U’s.

Newcastle United were forced to play Rochdale twice in the third round in order to advance while Oxford United comfortably defeated Hartlepool by a three goal margin to get to this stage in the competition. Karl Robinson’s team consists of three players who have scored at least nine goals this season, but can they be as successful against a Premier League side?

Analysis

Newcastle upon Tyne is suffering from something called Cup Fever as 42,000 tickets were sold for this clash as of Wednesday afternoon. The fans want to see their team make a deep run in the FA Cup, so anything less than a victory at St. James’ Park will be a major disappointment.

It remains to be seen who Steve Bruce will play, but a strong lineup should be expected. The ideal scenario for Newcastle United would be to see key players like Miguel Almiron and Allan Saint-Maximin orchestrate attacks in the final third and score multiple goals to essentially win the game in the first half. This would allow Bruce to take off some regular starters, give a few youngsters some cup action, and possibly introduce new signing Nabil Bentaleb to the home fans.

In terms of the team’s setup, anything other than a 3-4-3 formation would be a surprise. Seeing that Oxford United play their football in England’s third tier, Newcastle United will enjoy the majority of possession and they will attack through their wingers from the opening whistle.

On paper, this game is already a done deal, but inferior opposition should never be undermined, especially in the FA Cup. Rochdale caused major problems for the Toon in the teams’ first meeting in the third round, and it is worth noting that Oxford United are a stronger side. The U’s are currently fifth in the League One table, only six points shy of league leaders Rotherham.

Predictions

Although Oxford United will present more of a challenge for Newcastle United than Rochdale did, Carson and I are both confident that Newcastle United will handle business in a packed St. James’ Park. Newcastle United have only advanced to fifth round of the FA Cup three times since 2001, but we expect them to reserve their place among the Final 16 of the tournament.

• Carson A. Merk: Newcastle United 3-2 Oxford United
• Durim Halimi: Newcastle United 4-0 Oxford United