Newcastle v Leeds predictions: Bielsa's boys can come away with three points

Free football tips, best bets and analysis for Newcastle United v Leeds United in the Premier League on Friday.

Where to watch

Sky Sports Main Event & Premier League, 8pm Friday

Best bet

Leeds
1pt 13-10 Betfred

Team news

Newcastle
Martin Dubravka and Callum Wilson remain sidelined and Joe Willock, Javier Manquillo and Ciaran Clark picked up knocks in the 4-1 loss to Manchester United.

Leeds
Pascal Struijk starts a three-game ban while injured pair Robin Koch and Diego Llorente are expected to miss out.

Match preview

Leeds have failed to win any of their opening four league games for the first time since 1988 but their slow start can come to an end with victory at Newcastle.

The early-season schedule always looked tough for Marcelo Bielsa's side and their two defeats - a 5-1 reverse at Manchester United and a 3-0 loss to Liverpool - came at the hands of teams in last season's top three.

One of the main issues for Leeds is that they are starting games too slowly.

They have conceded the opener on each occasion while against Liverpool on Sunday they had to play with ten men for the last half an hour after Pascal Struijk was sent off, leaving Bielsa short of centre-back options for this fixture.

Bielsa may have to ask somebody to switch positions but his team will still play with attacking intent and intensity and that may be enough to overwhelm their hosts, who are second from bottom and desperately short of confidence.

While Leeds can point to a tough fixture schedule as a reason for their poor start, Newcastle have no such excuse.

The Magpies' opening three matches at home to West Ham, away to Aston Villa and at home to Southampton were winnable assignments but they took just one point, drawing 2-2 with Saints, and probably should have lost the lot.

They were let off the hook by Southampton, who won the shot count 22 to ten, but were less fortunate at Manchester United on Saturday when Cristiano Ronaldo's debut double helped condemn them to a 4-1 defeat.

Steve Bruce came in for criticism during and after the loss to United and it is hard to see how he is going to turn the tide.

Newcastle's defensive record of 12 goals conceded is the worst in the division and their attacking capabilities are significantly reduced by the ongoing absence of star striker Callum Wilson, who is sidelined with a thigh strain.

Wilson's pace and finishing prowess would have posed problems for a makeshift Leeds backline but there are no natural goalscorers waiting to step into his shoes and the best Newcastle fans can hope for is a rare flash of genius from the talented but frustrating Frenchman Allan Saint-Maximin, who has netted seven goals in 55 Premier League appearances.

Leeds have a more reliable source of goals, in Patrick Bamford, who popped up with the leveller in their 1-1 draw at Burnley.

Bamford had a quieter game against Liverpool last weekend but he should be more involved on Tyneside and could hold the key to securing Leeds's long-awaited first league win of the season.

Key stat

Newcastle have lost three of their last five Premier League home games.

Inside info

Newcastle

Penalty taker Matt Ritchie
Free-kick wizard Matt Ritchie
Aerial set piece threat Jamal Lascelles
Card magnet Isaac Hayden

Leeds

Penalty taker Patrick Bamford
Free-kick wizard Raphinha
Aerial set piece threat Liam Cooper
Card magnet Kalvin Phillips

Not got a bet365 account? Sign up today and get up to £100 in bet credits

Up to £100 in Bet Credits for new customers at bet365. Min deposit £5. Bet Credits available for use upon settlement of bets to value of qualifying deposit. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply.

CLAIM OFFER HERE

MORE FREE BETS

Today's top sports betting stories

Follow us on Twitter @racingpostsport