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Manchester United FC v/s Newcastle United FC
(League Cup)
Old Trafford
Kick Off : 19:45 BST (Wednesday, 26th Sep 2012),
00:15 IST (Thursday, 27th Aug 2012)
Manchester United welcome the Magpies to Old Trafford in the third round of the League Cup,or which is now known as the Capital One Cup, on Wednesday.United are chasing their third title in five years,with their most recent triumph coming in the 2009-10 Cup.They will be looking to becoming the champions for the fifth time,after going down cheaply to Crystal Palace at home last year.Newcastle,on the other hand, have never won a League Cup.The closest they came was in 1976, when they lost out to Manchester City in the finals.
The last time Newcastle faced United,was in their backyards, when they came out 3-0 on top,thanks to Ba and Cabaye’s strikes, and Jones’ own goal.They did manage to gain a point at Old Trafford last season,because of a controversial penalty decision even though Ferdinand won the ball cleanly in the box.But they have not been able to register a victory at the Theatre of Dreams for the past 40 years.The League Cup being a knockout competition,it remains to be seen how much of a role the stats would play when these two heavyweights lock horns for a place in the next round.
Team Preview:
Manchester United:
The Red Devils are brimming with confidence having registered five straight victories across all competitions,after the opening game howler against Everton and are currently second in the premier league,behind Chelsea.They will be looking to extend their winning run,and keep hopes alive of possible silverware.”It is a question of getting over the first couple of games. Before you know it you are playing to get in a semi-final. That ups the ante and gets you on the ball.” -Jonny Evans.
The defensive crisis has again engulfed the United camp,with Vidic reportedly being out for two months,and Rafael picking up a knock in the game against Liverpool.Smalling and Jones are already out.Evans and Büttner are definite starters,with Wootton being a likely candidate for the center-back position.Keeping the game against Spurs this weekend in mind,Sir Alex will have to get his combination right.
Darren Fletcher looks set to start his first game after 10 months.Sir Alex stated “He will play against Newcastle and that is the perfect game for him to start back. It will be his first 90 minutes for 10 months. It’s a big one for him.Then we have the game against Tottenham and he could be involved in that. He is handling the condition and, as we saw the other night, he is looking fine.”
Anderson and Cleverley could be the other midfielders on the pitch,with Nick Powell also likely to start.Other young players such as Jesse Lingard, Ryan Tunnicliffe, Davide Petrucci, Bebe, Joshua King, Robbie Brady and Michael Keane will also be in contention.
Chicharito and Welbeck seem to be the most likely choices to take places up-front.Federico Macheda and Angelo Henriquez may play some role later in the match,and so can Wayne Rooney,who will be looking for some match practice,hoping to get in shape in time for the weekend game against Tottenham.
Manchester United (Possible 4-4-2): De Gea, Rafael/Valencia, Evans, Wootton, Buttner, Fletcher,Anderson, Cleverley,Powell, Chicharito,Welbeck
Newcastle United:
After finishing the last season in the 5th position,above the European champions, the Magpies have made a good start to the campaign this year.Sunday’s 1-0 win against Norwich and a recent draw against Everton have propelled them to 10th place,with 8 points in five games.They would have wished for a easier third round fixture.
Talking about the probable team line-up, Rob Elliot is expected to continue in goal as Tim Krul is still injured. Steve Harper has been rested for the next game. Cheick Tiote and Fabricio Coloccini are set to play, but Danny Simpson may miss out due to an injury.
Newcastle boss Alan Pardew would be hoping to get a result in his favour as a manager, after losing out as a player against United. Pardew was a part of the Crystal Palace team which lost the FA Cup final against United in 1990 – the first trophy that Sir Alex won at the club.
Newcastle United(Possible ,4-4-2) :Elliot,Perch, Williamson, S Taylor, Santon,Gosling, Tiote, Bigirimana,Obertan, Sh Ameobi, Amalfitano
Prediction:
The last time these two sides met in a League Cup game was in 1994, when Newcastle United won 2-0. With both teams seemingly fielding a young team, the outcome does become difficult to predict. The Magpies are expected to put up a strong fight but Sir Alex will take all necessary measures to ensure his side does not go down like it did the earlier season.
Manchester United 2-1 Newcastle United
