Total below 2.5
Total below 2.5
Everton are desperate to keep their place in England’s top flight. The club is in the top three of the Premier League, but behind a defensive 17th lane, they are only 1 point behind when playing in the reserve.
Under the leadership of Sean Dyche, the Toffees are not very productive in the last third of the field. They are based on a rigid structure with a compact defense, but most often it does not bring the expected result. On average, under the guidance of an English specialist, Everton create an average of 1.16 xg per game, with 1.7 xg being allowed.
Newcastle United took a big step towards securing the club in the Champions League zone last Sunday. “Magpies” outclassed their direct rival – “Tottenham” (6:1), leading in the 21st minute with a score of 5:0. It was the first time Newcastle had scored 6 Premier League goals since a 6-2 win over Norwich City in 2015.
It is worth noting that under Eddie Howe, “black and white” prefer to play mainly as the second number, taking advantage of the opponent’s transition phases. In terms of the number of direct attacks (67), they are second only to Manchester United (79).
For both teams, the result of this match has huge tournament implications. Newcastle are much more comfortable playing against teams that want to dominate and leave large gaps in front of goal. Everton are unlikely to provide the Magpies with such opportunities. I expect a stubborn confrontation with minimal odds.