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Club football returns to the fold with its final round of pre-season games before the new season as Villarreal lock horns with Eddie Howe's Newcastle United side in a friendly encounter at St. James' Park on Sunday.
Newcastle United vs Villarreal Preview
Villarreal finished in fifth place in the La Liga table last season and have managed to step up to the plate in recent months. The Yellow Submarines slumped to a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Sporting Lisbon in their previous game and will need to bounce back this weekend.
Newcastle United, on the other hand, secured a fourth-place finish in the Premier League table last season and have been impressive over the past year. The Magpies edged Brighton & Hove Albion to a narrow 2-1 victory last week and will be confident ahead of this match.
Newcastle United vs Villarreal Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- Newcastle United have never played an official game against Villarreal and will need to adapt to a new opponent going into the match this week.
- Newcastle United conceded only 33 goals in their 38 matches in the Premier League last season - the joint-best defensive record in the competition alongside Manchester City.
- Callum Wilson, Miguel Almiron and Alexander Isak were impressive for Newcastle United last season and scored 39 goals between them for the Magpies in all competitions.
- Villarreal have endured a fairly poor pre-season tour so far and have managed to win only one of their five friendly matches, conceding a total of 13 goals during this period.
- Newcastle United ended their Premier League campaign on a mixed note last season - they were unbeaten in their last four games but managed to win only one of these matches.
Newcastle United vs Villarreal Prediction
Newcastle United have become a formidable force under Eddie Howe and will be intent on making their mark on the European stage next season. The likes of Bruno Guimaraes and Miguel Almiron have come into their own for the Magpies and will need to make the most of their pre-season tour.
Villarreal have been hampered by a fair share of departures over the past month and will need to rebuild ahead of the new season. Newcastle United are the better team at the moment and should be able to win this game.
Prediction: Newcastle United 4-1 Villarreal
Newcastle United vs Villarreal Betting Tips
Tip 1: Result - Newcastle United
Tip 2: Game to have over 2.5 goals - Yes
Tip 3: Villarreal to score first - Yes
Tip 4: Callum Wilson to score - Yes
