Everton vs. Newcastle United Preview

Newcastle United will attempt to make one final push for Champions League football when they take on Everton in the last game of the season at Goodison Park on Sunday May 13.

Defeat to champions elect Manchester City last time out has left the Magpies a point behind fourth placed Tottenham Hotspur who will be fancied to clinch qualification for Europe’s premier club competition when they take on Fulham at White Hart Lane.

But Newcastle could easily turn the tide if Spurs slip up – and the pressure will certainly be on Harry Redknapp’s side that have been prone to lapse against lesser teams on a number of occasions throughout the campaign.

Everton represent a difficult task for the visitors who will look to focus on their match alone and forget about matters elsewhere until the final whistle.

The Toffees are in line for a solid seventh place finish come Sunday afternoon and they are likely to finish above arch rivals Liverpool even if victory cannot be achieved against Alan Pardew’s men.

Newcastle’s most impressive quality this term has been their ability to bounce back from defeat and get straight back to winning ways, a feature which has happened frequently since they suffered their first loss of the season back in October.

Everton have enjoyed their usual strong second half to the campaign and would be pushing for a top four place had they replicated recent efforts right from the start.

Essentially, the current form of both sides makes this fixture an extremely tough one to call and the contest is likely to ensue into one of the most entertaining matches on the final day.

Interestingly, despite losing six times at home, Everton have only conceded fourteen goals this term at Goodison and that could bode well for them up against the lethal Senegalese partnership of Papiss Cisse and Demba Ba.

Newcastle will inevitably require a goal or two from their main marksmen to snatch all three points and they may be denied if Everton can produce a defensive display on a par with what they have shown lately.

United’s overall record on the road has been fairly average and it is their home form which has really propelled them into contention for the Champions League.

Seven away reversals represent a side capable of better outside Tyneside and Goodison Park is notoriously one of the most difficult places to go in the top flight.

Steven Pienaar will be looking to pull the strings again for Everton in what could quite conceivably be the South African star’s last game for the club.

Nikica Jelavic has been equally inspiring for Everton as to what Cisse has been for the Toon Army and the Croatian can finish the season strongly yin preparation for Euro 2012.

Newcastle have leaked 31 goals away from home and the talented if somewhat suspect Fabio Coloccini could be in for a tough afternoon should that aforementioned Everton duo play their part.

The visitors are more than capable of turning Everton over at 2/1 but there is a slight notion that they are just going to fall short in terms of the top four and a home success appears more probable at 7/5.

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08/05/2012     © Frixo 2026