Bournemouth will host Newcastle United at the Vitality Stadium on Sunday, looking to pick up their first win of the season.
Bournemouth were held to draw against Nottingham Forest in their season opener, and they will fancy producing a strong performance when they welcome Newcastle United to the Vitality Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
On the other hand, Newcastle United picked up a narrow win over Southampton, and they will look to build on it with a positive performance here. The Magpies will be looking to secure UEFA Champions League qualification for the upcoming season, and they need to win these games in order to finish in the top four.
It will be interesting to see if the players can step up and produce a strong performance. Matches between these two sides are often evenly matched, and this one could be another cracking contest. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Bournemouth
The home team will be without the services of Enes Unal because of an ankle injury. Tyler Adams misses out with a back injury, while David Brooks has a shoulder injury.
Bournemouth will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Neto in goal. Adam Smith and Milos Kerkez will start as the full-backs. They will look to keep things compact defensively and help out during counter-attacking opportunities.
Illia Zabarnyi will start alongside Dean Huijsen at the heart of the defence. In the midfield, Ryan Christie will start alongside Lewis Cook. The two players will look to break down the opposition attack and protect the central defence.
Justin Kluivert will start in the central attacking midfield role, and he will look to link the midfield with the attack. Marcus Tavernier and Luis Sinisterra will start in the wide areas, and they will look to add pace and flair to the side. Antoine Semenyo will lead the line for the home side.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Neto; Smith, Zabarnyi, Huijsen, Kerkez; Christie, Cook; Tavernier, Kluivert, Sinisterra; Semenyo
Newcastle United
Newcastle United have an extended injury list heading into this contest, and they will be without star defenders Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles because of a knee injury. Fabian Schar is suspended along with Sandro Tonali. Callum Wilson has a back injury, and he will miss out as well.
The away side will shape up in a 4-3-3 formation, with Nick Pope in goal. Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall will start as the full-backs. The two players will look to contribute at both ends of the park. Lloyd Kelly will start in central defence alongside Dan Burn.
In the midfield, Bruno Guimaraes will look to control the tempo of the game and add drive to the side. Sean Longstaff will be the defensive midfielder alongside him, and he will look to break up opposition attacking moves. Joelinton will start in the midfield as well, and the Brazilian will look to add creativity to the side.
Alexander Isak will lead the line for Newcastle United against Bournemouth, 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
- Newcastle United are undefeated in nine of their last ten matches against Bournemouth in all competitions.
- 16 goals have been scored in the last six matches between Newcastle United and Bournemouth.
- Four of the last six matches between these two sides, have seen both teams get on the score sheet.
- Three of the last six matches between these two sides have ended in a draw.
- Bournemouth are unbeaten in the last three matches against Newcastle United.
Player to Watch
Alexander Isak
The Swedish international striker was outstanding for Newcastle United last season, and he is our key play to watch out for. The away side will need him to step up and deliver if they want to grind out all three points.
Isak is more than just a goalscorer, and his ability to create goalscoring opportunities and bring others to the play could prove to be invaluable. He could make a big difference for Newcastle United in the final third against Bournemouth.
Prediction
Bournemouth 1-1 Newcastle United
This is likely to be a close contest, and the two teams could end up cancelling each other out. They are quite evenly matched, and it will be hard to separate them. They likely to share the spoiler. A goalscoring draw seems quite likely. The Hard Tackle predicts a 1-1 stalemate between Bournemouth and Newcastle United.