MX23RW : Thursday, November 7 22:43:13| >> :120:4810:4810:

Preview: Newcastle United vs. Barnsley - prediction, team news, head-to-head record

Sports Mole previews Saturday's pre-season friendly between Newcastle United and Barnsley, including team news and head-to-head records.

Newcastle United will continue their preparations for the 2020-21 season with a clash against Championship side Barnsley on Saturday afternoon.

The fixture will take place at the Premier League outfit's Benton training ground but will act as a valuable game for both sides as they build towards the start of competitive action.


Match preview

Newcastle United manager Steve Bruce pictured on June 21, 2020© Reuters

Newcastle got their pre-season campaign off to an impressive start on Tuesday as they recorded a three-goal victory over Crewe Alexandra, with Andy Carroll, Christian Atsu and Federico Fernandez on the scoresheet.

The win came at a cost, though, with Dwight Gayle picking up an ankle injury which is likely to rule him out for the next few months, leaving the Magpies short in the final third of the field.

There will also be no Martin Dubravka either this weekend or for the start of the new Premier League season as the goalkeeper picked up a heel injury during a training session last week.

Steve Bruce's side are due to face Middlesbrough in another friendly on September 1 before opening their 2020-21 season away to West Ham United on September 12.

The Magpies ultimately finished 13th in last season's Premier League table as they lost four of their last five matches of the campaign, claiming just one point during a poor finish.

Callum Styles celebrates scoring for Barnsley on July 22, 2020© Reuters

Barnsley, meanwhile, dramatically escaped relegation from the Championship on the final day of last season, beating Brentford 2-1 to ultimately finish in 21st spot, one point clear of the bottom three.

The club are therefore preparing for another season in the second tier, but it is an incredibly quick turnaround, and they have also only played one friendly this summer, beating Crewe 2-0 last weekend.

Gerhard Struber's side are expected to have two new faces on display this weekend, with Dominik Frieser and Kilian Ludewig likely to be involved for the Championship side following their summer arrivals.

The Tykes are due to start their new Championship season at home to Luton Town on September 12 but will also take on Nottingham Forest in the first round of the EFL Cup on September 5.

Newcastle pre-season form: W

Barnsley pre-season form: W


Head To Head

Newcastle lead the overall head-to-head record 20 wins to Barnsley's 11, while there have also been 12 draws between these two sides in all competitions.

The Magpies have won seven of their last eight meetings, including a 3-0 victory when they last locked horns in the Championship at the end of the 2016-17 campaign.

Barnsley's last win over Newcastle was actually back in December 1992, while they have only avoided defeat in two of their last 12 clashes with the Premier League side.


SM words green background

We say: Newcastle 3-1 Barnsley

The result will not mean too much to either manager this weekend, but both sides will be keen to put on a positive performance. Newcastle should have too much for their Championship opponents, though, and we fancy Bruce's side to make it two wins from two pre-season matches.


ID:411883: cacheID:411883:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:6231:

Previews by email

Click here to get Sports Mole's daily email of previews and predictions for every major game!


Restore Data
Share this article now:
Newcastle United goalkeeper Martin Dubravka pictured in January 2020
Read Next:
Martin Dubravka to miss start of new season through injury
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool108111961325
2Manchester CityMan City1072121111023
3Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest10541147719
4Chelsea105322012818
5Arsenal105321711618
6Aston Villa105321715218
7Tottenham HotspurSpurs1051422111116
8Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton104421714316
9Fulham104331413115
10Bournemouth104331312115
11Newcastle UnitedNewcastle104331010015
12Brentford104151920-113
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd10334912-312
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham103251319-611
15Leicester CityLeicester102441418-410
16Everton102351017-79
17Crystal Palace10145813-57
18Ipswich TownIpswich100551021-115
19Southampton10118719-124
20Wolverhampton WanderersWolves100371427-133


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!