Newcastle looks to put behind their poor start to the campaign this week when they host Burnley in the second round of the EFL Cup. The match schedules for Wednesday at the St. James Park, with kickoff at 9:45 pm.
Both sides are five of the Premier League sides to lose two of their opening fixtures in England’s top flight. Newcastle comes off a 2-0 loss to Aston Villa, while Burnley suffered a 2-0 loss to Liverpool.
Steve Bruce started the season on a low note with losses to Aston Villa and West Ham. Therefore, he expects to ease up the pressure by picking points in the EFL Cup. It remains a major task to attain after getting saved from the dotted line.
In addition, the back-to-back defeats saw the Magpies concede six goals. There is much that needs improvement in the camp, given their dismal displays over the past two weeks. A home fixture to Southampton presents a major opportunity to end their August schedule on a high note.
On the other hand, Burnley was in a pole position to start off their campaign with a win over Brighton. However, the Seagulls fought to end in a 2-1 win victory in the second half. Afterward, it followed with a 2-0 loss to Liverpool. There is a need for new faces before the end of the transfer window.
Newcastle United vs. Burnley Head to Head
Both sides have ten games against each other, with Newcastle taking four wins while Burnley with two wins. Here is a look at their previous encounters:
Home
- Aston Villa 2-0 Newcastle United
- Newcastle United 2-4 West Ham
- Newcastle 3-0 Norwich City
- Burton Albion 0-2 Newcastle United
- Rotherham 1-1 Newcastle
Away
- Liverpool 2-0 Burnley
- Burnley 1-2 Brighton
- Burnley 0-2 Cadiz
- Blackpool 0-1 Burnley
- Oldham Athletic 0-2 Burnley
Newcastle United Team News
Given a weekend game against Southampton, we expect Steve Bruce to make a few tweaks in the starting lineup. Therefore, we expect a front three attack made up of Dwight Gayle, Joelinton, and Ryan Fraser. Other familiar faces to the lineup include Sean Longstaff and Jeff Hendrick.
Burnley Team News
Wayne Hennessey and Nathan Collins are in line to make their first debut after joining Crystal Palace and Stoke City. Youngsters to make a debut include Phil Bardsley and Erick Pieters.
Prediction and Odds
We expect both managers to rotate the squad given their weekend fixtures thus making it hard to predict.
- Newcastle United Win
- Double Chance
- Goals Under 2.5
