Premier League: Will Rafa Wreck Reds’ Title Hopes?

Newcastle United vs Liverpool

Things are not looking too great for Liverpool at the moment. The Reds have one foot out the door in the Champions League after a resounding 3-0 defeat in their semi-final first leg against Barcelona.

And in the Premier League, they still need leaders Manchester City to slip up to stand any chance at winning the title. City just about got the job done at Burnley and are now two games away from defending their crown.

All Liverpool can do now is take care of their own business as they go to Newcastle on the penultimate weekend of the Premier League season.

The Magpies have been quite formidable on their home turf this season, though, and could just be the ones to put an end to the Merseysiders’ title hopes.

Talking Points

St. James’ Park has been a fortress

This season has been another successful one for Rafa Benitez and Newcastle United. Despite receiving minimal investment in the side, Benitez has once again led Newcastle to mid-table safety.

Newcastle owe much of their success this season to their outstanding home form. Their Premier League 2019 results at St. James’ Park have been excellent as they have won six of their last seven games. That’s quite an impressive turnaround from the first half of the season, where they lost their first five home games and eight of their first 11.

They thumped Southampton 3-1 in their most recent home game, with Ayoze Perez scoring a hat-trick. The young Spaniard has had a brilliant season, leading the team with 11 Premier League goals. He’s done a good deal of his damage later in the year, with five goals in his last three appearances.

But after scoring the opening goal in their draw against Brighton last time out, Perez had to come off due to injury. While the Spaniard says he will make sure to be fit for Liverpool, his status is still up in the air.

Losing Perez would obviously be a massive blow to Newcastle given the significant part he’s played in the team’s attack this season. And with impressive newcomer Miguel Almiron still missing as well, Newcastle could be quite lightweight in attack.

Liverpool’s response to Barcelona loss

Liverpool must consider themselves terribly unlucky after their first leg against Barcelona. Despite playing relatively well, they still got thumped 3-0 and will need something exceptional to make it to a second-straight final.

Meanwhile, Liverpool are still praying for a Manchester City slip-up in order to overtake the reigning champions. The Reds have done just about everything in their power to win the Premier League. They’ve lost just once all season and have won their last seven games on the bounce.

And after three consecutive away draws — which could potentially prove costly — they have also won their last three in a row outside of Anfield.

The big question will be how Liverpool respond after their loss to Barca. It certainly has the potential to be a demoralising defeat. However, manager Jurgen Klopp has shown he’s capable of lifting his team up, and with the season so close to the finish line, the players should be eager to respond.

Liverpool will likely be without Naby Keita, who suffered a groin injury against Barcelona. But there’s a chance Roberto Firmino will make his way back to the first XI after starting on the substitutes’ bench in Spain.

History

Newcastle and Liverpool have been in a fair few battles over the years. The Merseysiders hold the decided edge in the all-time head-to-head, with 71 wins in their 151 meetings. Newcastle have won on 42 occasions, while the two have drawn 38 times.

In terms of recent meetings, Liverpool have won their last two meetings by a total of six goals to nil. Although, both have been at Anfield. Liverpool battered Newcastle 4-0 in their first meeting this season.

However, Newcastle have gotten the better of Liverpool when they’ve come to visit Tyneside. The Magpies are unbeaten in their last four home games against Liverpool (two wins, two draws) and have lost just once in the last seven (four wins, two draws).

Betting Tip

	Newcastle United vs Liverpool	Newcastle United Asian Handicap +1.50 @ 1.83
	May 05, 02:45 (GMT+8)

Newcastle United vs Liverpool betting odds are predictably skewed toward the Reds. However, there is a compelling case to be made for Newcastle being fairly competitive in this match.

As noted above, their home form has been outstanding in recent months and Benitez is a master at setting his team up against the top sides. And while Benitez has a strong connection with Liverpool, he’s not likely to make things easy for his old team.

The possible absence of Ayoze Perez will certainly be a blow to the Newcastle attack, but their defence is still capable of stifling a Liverpool side which likely won’t have quite as much energy after a taxing midweek encounter at the Camp Nou.

With those factors in mind, Newcastle should be worth a punt on the SBOBET Asian handicap sports betting market.

A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR () BETS ARE WORTH:
= €20 (Highly confident)	= €10 (CONFIDENT)	= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)

Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.

●●●

CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE FOOTBALL STORIES & ODDS

Stay updated with everything sports and betting.

Follow us on social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.