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While other players plying their trade in mainstream Europe enjoy the Christmas season with their loved ones, their counterparts in England would sweat it out on the field as traditional Boxing Day fixtures are held in the Premier League.
Old Trafford would be one of the venues on 26th December, with Manchester United hosting Newcastle United in what would be a make-or-break match with a lot riding on it.
Both sides come into the fixture level on points and separated by just goal difference, with Newcastle United having overcome their early-season malaise to sit comfortably in 9th position, while the hosts have continued their indifferent form and are just one place above them.
The Red Devils flattered to deceived in their last outing, falling to a 2-0 defeat away to bottom-placed Watford, while the Magpies made it three wins from four with a gritty 1-0 triumph over Crystal Palace.
Manchester United v Newcastle United Head-to-Head
The two sides are traditional clubs on the English football hierarchy and have been regular opponents over the years.
Manchester United have squared off with Newcastle on 168 occasions in the past, winning 86 and drawing 39, while 43 fixtures ended in a victory for the Tyne side.
Manchester United form guide: LDWWD
Newcastle United form guide: WLWWD
Manchester United v Newcastle United Team News
The one positive from the defeat to Watford over the weekend was the appearance of Paul Pogba from the bench, with the World Cup winner making his first appearance since the end of September. Love or loathe him, the 26-year-old is the best player in the Manchester United squad and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer would be pleased to call on his services.
Elsewhere, there are only a handful of injuries to worry about, with Eric Bailly close to a return from his knee surgery, while Diego Dalot groin) and Timothy Fosu-Mensah (cruciate ligament) are also ruled out.
Injuries: Diego Dalot, Timothy Fosu-Mensah
Doubtful: Eric Bailly
Suspensions: Aaron Wan-Bissaka is a yellow card away from a suspension
Manchester United v Newcastle United Predicted XI
Manchester United Predicted XI: David de Gea; Luke Shaw, Victor Lindelof, Harry Maguire, Aaron Wan-Bissaka; Fred, Scott McTomminay, Paul Pogba; Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial, Daniel James
Manchester United v Newcastle United Prediction
One of the great wonders of this season has been Manchester United's ability to regularly go up against the 'big boys' in the league but equally come up short against opposition that they are expected to beat.
Solskjaer has won over 70% of matches where his side had less possession including in games against Chelsea, Manchester City, Leicester City, and Tottenham, while they are also the only side to have picked up a point against Liverpool so far.
By contrast, they have won just 33% of matches where they had more possession and this has seen them drop points against less-fancied sides like Aston Villa, Watford, Crystal Palace, and Southampton.
The reason for this is not far-fetched, as their gameplan is based on exploiting spaces left in behind by high-pressing defenses, with their pacy front three of Anthony Martial, Daniel James, and Marcus Rashford all able to take advantage of this.
It is not rocket science that the bigger clubs come out on the front foot to impose their game on their opponents and United are beneficiaries, exemplified by their 4-0 rout of Chelsea on the opening day where all four of their goals came on the break, while the 30-minute period where they were in the ascendancy against Manchester City also saw Pep Guardiola's defenders struggle with the pace of Rashford and company.
This is a tactic that cannot be deployed against the smaller teams who are content to sit back and defend deep and in the absence of swathes of space, Manchester United lack the requisite technique to break down resolute defenses.
When it comes to teams who sit back and defend deep, Steve Bruce's Newcastle are perhaps the best exemplars of this and the last time the two sides met, the Toon Army put up a defensive masterclass to ensure Bruce picked up his first win against Manchester United at the 23rd attempt.
Although Pogba's return would help give United's midfield an extra dimension, their struggles against weaker opposition could see them drop yet more points in their race to finish in the top four.
Verdict: Manchester United 1-1 Newcastle United
Also Read: Is David de Gea's No.1 position under threat?
