Newcastle vs. Southampton: preview and betting tips

Tuesday night’s football will feature a rematch of the Carabao Cup semi-final between Newcastle and Southampton. The home side go into it with a one goal lead from the opening game, what to expect from the battle for the final and what to bet on?

Newcastle are enjoying their season so far. They are third in the league and are on course for the Champions League, with a three-point lead on fifth place and a game to spare. Moreover, they will go into the cup replay with a one-goal lead.

Southampton, on the other hand, are languishing in last place in the table. There is no panic in the team, the Saints are still only two points away from rescue. It’s not a pleasant one, anyway. They will be without the gutted Calero in the cup rematch.

Newcastle’s key figures

The Magpies stand on the performance of central midfielder Bruno Guimaraes, the Brazilian international has scored four times and assisted three times. The defence has improved further since the national break, with Dan Burn and Sven Botman in particular performing well.

Southampton’s key players

The visitors rely on captain James Ward-Prowse, the England international has scored seven times and assisted twice. Right-back Kyle Walker-Peters is also a mainstay, although he hasn’t reached his optimum form so far this season.

Newcastle’s defensive performance has been incredible. They have kept a clean sheet in eight of their nine competitive games since the World Cup, and with 11 goals conceded they have clearly the best defence in the league.

On the other hand, even Southampton’s defence has picked up. Despite the loss of its number one stopper Armel Bella Kotchap, it has conceded only six goals in its last seven games, even holding Manchester City to zero.

Considering Saints’ improving performances and the fatigue of the home players, whom coach Eddie Howe is not rotating and not letting rest much, I think Southampton will fight for promotion till the last minutes.

That’s why I recommend betting on Southampton at a handicap of +1.5. This means success on a Saints win, draw or the home side triumphing by one goal.