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Newcastle United v West Brom: Match Preview

Vital Football · Caroline Dowse · 2026-08-25T13:30:34+00:00 · nguồn gốc

Newcastle United start their Carabao Cup campaign at home to West Bromwich Albion tomorrow night. Newcastle have great memories of this competition, having won it a year ago, but there are only a few survivors from that team left in the current squad. The question is whether Matthias Jaissle will rotate the team, and where those changes will be. Key Battles Jimmy-Jay Morgan vs Fabian Schar I’m hedging my bets here because I don’t know whether Jaissle will change the centre-halves. Schar came on for the last minute against Liverpool, and Jaissle may be tempted to give him a run-out here, possibly in place of Botman. Schar is Mr Reliable. He has 53 clean sheets in the 211 appearances he has made for Newcastle. He may have lost a yard of pace, but his reading of the game is second to none. Morgan has made a solid start to his West Brom career, with with one goal and two assists in two matches. He likes taking defenders on, and his movement might be a problem for Schar. This could be an intriguing battle between experience and youth. Bazoumana Touré vs Callum Styles Again, this one depends on Jaissle’s team selection, but Touré may come in for this game after missing out against Liverpool. Touré was one of the bright spots of preseason with his speed, trickery and quick crosses into the box impressing many people. In Callum Styles, he would be up against one of West Brom’s most consistent players. Styles has made 85 appearances, scored three goals, and was named West Brom’s Player of the Year last season. He loves to get forward too, so that is something that Touré could exploit. The Tactical Battle This will be a different game to the Liverpool one. West Brom are likely to sit in a low block, which means that Jaissle’s favoured 4-2-3-1 formation may not be as effective. But he is tactically flexible, so expect him to change it up if things aren’t going to plan. If he does stick with the 4-2-3-1, the question will be who plays in the 10 role. Will Osula picked up a knock in the last game, so Yoane Wissa may revert to centre-forward, with Nick Woltemade as the 10. James Morrison prefers to play with a 4-4-2, with an emphasis on defensive solidity, and it has worked for West Brom. They escaped from relegation last season and have made a good start this year. They are well-drilled, organised, and have a decent frontline, so this could be a case of the irresistible force versus the immovable object. Form Guide West Brom come into the game on better form, with four wins from their last six games, while Newcastle only have one win in six. Newcastle will take confidence from their performance against Liverpool, though. The two teams have met 131 times and have an equal amount of wins: 48 each. The Baggies have the better record in the Carabao Cup though – the teams have met twice before, and West Brom have won them both. Possible Newcastle XI Jaouen, Dedić, Thiaw, Schar, Hall, Miley, Ramsey, Murphy, Touré, Woltemade, Wissa. Prediction Newcastle 2-0 West Brom I think will be a tight game, but that Newcastle will come through in the end.