Liverpool v Newcastle predictions: Magpies could go down fighting at champions

Free football tips, best bets and analysis for the Premier League match between Liverpool and Newcastle on Saturday.

Where to watch

BT Sport 1, 12.30pm, Saturday

Best bet

Liverpool & both teams to score
1pt 19-10 BoyleSports

Team news

Liverpool
Nat Phillips is unlikely to feature due to a hamstring strain but Curtis Jones has returned to training after three games out. Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip, Joe Gomez and Jordan Henderson are all still sidelined.

Newcastle
Allan Saint-Maximin is fit despite picking up an ankle knock against West Ham. Ryan Fraser is a doubt but Karl Darlow, Jamaal Lascelles and Isaac Hayden are all out. Fabian Schar is back in training after knee surgery.

Match preview

Newcastle have not won at Anfield since a League Cup tie in 1995 and there appears little chance of the Magpies ending their miserable record at Liverpool in the lunchtime kick-off on Saturday.

After a tumultuous week off the pitch, Liverpool's players will be desperate to deliver some positive news on it as they attempt to save their season by claiming fourth place in the Premier League.

At one point on Monday, it seemed finishing in the coveted Champions League spots would be deemed irrelevant, but after the controversial European Super League plan was stopped in its early tracks on Tuesday, the tight battle for the top four has, thankfully, resumed.

After Jurgen Klopp's side dropped two late points at Leeds United on Monday, Chelsea were then held at home by Brighton before Tottenham kept themselves in the race with a late win over Southampton.

With only six points separating Leicester in third and Liverpool in seventh, every game during the run-in looks vital in the top-four fight and the Reds still have plenty of work to do to ensure they will line up alongside Europe's elite clubs once again next season.

Klopp's men ended their appalling winter run of six straight home defeats when they just about saw off Aston Villa at Anfield earlier in the month and they will be expected to once again beat Newcastle, who have been remarkably timid opponents for the Reds in the Premier League era.

The Magpies have lost five of the last six meetings between the sides and have beaten Liverpool only three times in the last decade, all of those victories coming at St James' Park.

They put on a solid defensive display to earn a goalless draw against the Reds at home earlier in the season and Steve Bruce will probably look to deploy similar tactics at Anfield.

Following some improved results in recent weeks, Bruce's side are no longer in desperate need of points to stay up. Back-to-back wins over Burnley and West Ham mean they are now eight points clear of the bottom three with a game in hand on 18th-placed Fulham. Barring an amazing collapse from here, Newcastle should be safe.

So, with Liverpool's need greater, a home win looks fairly inevitable. However, backing the Reds to win to nil, which they have managed against Newcastle in three of the last five games between these two at Anfield, doesn't particularly appeal.

Liverpool's last clean sheet at home in the league came in the middle of January, while Newcastle, who have dangerous pair Allan Saint-Maximin and Callum Wilson fit, have hit eight goals in their last five games, failing to score in only one match during that run.

Key stat

Newcastle have not won at Anfield since 1995.

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