Wolves host Newcastle United at the Molineux on Sunday, desperately looking to pick up their first win of the 2024/25 season.
Wolves have made a disappointing start to the campaign, and they have picked up just one point from three matches ahead of the visit of Newcastle United at the Molineux on Sunday evening.
On the other hand, Newcastle United have shown impressive form, and they are fifth in the table with two wins and a draw from three matches. The Tyneside outfit will be desperate to get back into the UEFA Champions League positions, and they will look to continue their impressive start to the season with a win here.
Wolves have been quite vulnerable in their first few matches of the season, and Newcastle United will certainly fancy their chances of getting all three points from this game. On paper, they have the better team, and they have the confidence and momentum with them as well.
Meanwhile, this is a golden opportunity for Wolves to bounce back strongly in front of their fans, and a win over Newcastle could get them a confidence boost. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Wolves
Enso Medina and Sasa Kalajdzic are ruled out with knee injuries. Meanwhile, Yerson Mosquera, Mario Lemina, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Boubacar Traore will be assessed closer to kick-off.
The home team are likely to shape up in a 4-4-1-1 formation, with Sam Johnstone in goal. Nelson Semedo and Toti Gomes are likely to be deployed as the full-backs, and they will look to keep things compact defensively and help out during counter-attacking opportunities. Yerson Mosquera will start alongside Craig Dawson at the heart of the defence.
Jean-Ricner Bellegarde and Rayan Ait-Nouri will start in the wide areas. They will look to add creativity, pace, and flair to the side. Joao Gomes should feature alongside Mario Lemina in the central midfield pairing. They will look to help out defensively and control the tempo of the game.
Matheus Cunha will start in the attacking midfield role, and he will look to link the midfield with the attack. Finally, Jorgen Strand Larsen will lead the line for Wolves against Newcastle United at the Molineux on Sunday.
Probable Lineup (4-4-1-1): Johnstone; Semedo, Mosquera, Dawson, Toti Gomes; Bellegarde, Joao Gomes, Lemina, Ait Nouri; Cunha; Larsen
Newcastle United
Newcastle United will be without Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles because of their respective knee injuries. Lewis Miley has an ankle problem, while Callum Wilson has a back injury.
The away side will shape up in a 4-3-3 formation, with Nick Pope in goal. Valentino Livramento and Lewis Hall will start as the full-backs. The two players will look to contribute at both ends of the park. The central defensive pairing will see Lloyd Kelly starting alongside Dan Burn.
As for the midfield unit, Bruno Guimaraes will look to control the tempo of the game alongside Sean Longstaff, who will look to break up opposition attacks. Joelinton will start alongside them as well, and he will look to add creativity and drive to the side. Alexander Isak will lead the line for Newcastle, with Jacob Murphy and Anthony Gordon on either side of him.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Pope; Livramento, Burn, Kelly, Hall; Longstaff, Guimaraes, Joelinton; Murphy, Isak, Gordon
Key Stats
- Wolves have drawn five of their last six home matches against Newcastle United in all competitions.
- Wolves have seen over 2.5 goals in their last three matches against Newcastle United in all competitions.
- Newcastle have scored at least two goals in their last six matches against Wolves in all competitions.
- Newcastle United are unbeaten in five of the last six matches against Wolves.
- 16 goals have been scored in the last six matches between these two sides.
Player to Watch
Alexander Isak
The Newcastle United striker is our key player to watch out for. The Swedish international has been outstanding since his move to the Premier League club, and Newcastle will rely on him to find the back of the net and create openings in the final third.
Isak will be expected to link up with Anthony Gordon and open up goalscoring opportunities for the team. The Swede could cause all sorts of problems for the vulnerable Wolves defence, and he is likely to be the game-changer here.
Prediction
Wolves 1-2 Newcastle United
Wolves will be desperate to bounce back strongly after a disappointing start to the season. They will look to pick up their first win of the season at home, and it remains to be seen whether the players can step up and deliver.
Newcastle United have the form and momentum with them, and they have better quality players at their disposal as well. This is likely to be a close contest, but the Magpies have enough quality and experience to grind out a win here. A narrow 2-1 victory for Newcastle is on the cards.
