What to expect when Newcastle United host Sheffield United

Newcastle United will look to claim the double over Sheffield United at St. James’ Park tomorrow.

Newcastle United will return to Premier League action tomorrow when they host Sheffield United. The last time these teams met, goals from Allan Saint-Maximin and Jonjo Shelvey secured three precious points for the Magpies on the road.

The Blades are currently sixth in the table with 44 points from 29 games, and they are still fighting for a place in Europe. After being robbed of an obvious goal in their 0-0 draw against 19th-placed Aston Villa, one can assume they will come out with extra motivation against Newcastle United.

The Magpies are 14th in the table with 35 points, but Steve Bruce wants his men to focus on earning a top ten finish. At the time of this writing, Newcastle United are only four points off tenth, but the only way to achieve that goal is by altering their tactics.

On multiple occasions leading up to Project Restart, Bruce made it clear that fans will see an attack-minded Newcastle United side in their final nine games. As a result, fans should expect to see a midfield trio comprised of Valentino Lazaro, Allan Saint-Maximin and Miguel Almiron providing constant support for Brazilian big man Joelinton.

The club’s record signing only has one goal to his name, so attacking football will be welcomed. Sheffield United have one advantage over Newcastle United due to the fact that they played on Wednesday. On one end, fatigue might be a problem for the Blades with two road games in four days, but on the other end their players have 90 minutes of Premier League football under their belt.

The Magpies’ back line will most likely display some rust, as they did in a recent friendly against Middlesbrough. That being said, the first 20-25 minutes of this clash will be critical as both teams feel each other out and try to establish a flow to the game.

Both teams are disciplined and can be aggressive, but Newcastle United will have the two most dynamic players on the pitch in Saint-Maximin and Almiron. A successful outcome for the Magpies will depend on how often the speedy duo will receive the ball to orchestrate attacks in the final third.