For this match the home side, Newcastle, lined up in 433 with Isak, Saint-Maximin, Murphy up front, Willock, Guimaraes, Longstaff in midfield, Botman, Schar, Burn, Trippier in the back line.
Manchester United Football Club
Instead, it's 4231 with Weghorst up front, Antony, B. Fernandes, Rashford in the midfield, McTominay, Sabitzer at the back, and Varane, Lisandro Martinez, Dalot, Luke Shaw at the back.
(Both teams start)
Newcastle started the game on the offensive as they continued to utilize the right side of the field with crosses into the box for shots in the first ten minutes of the first half.
Manchester United Football Club
also started to get into a counter-attacking mood, using Antony on the right to try and play a quick counter-attack, but Newcastle's attack was significantly harder than the
Manchester United Football Club
Antony was closely defended by Newcastle's left back Burn, and although he made a number of breakthroughs in the first period, he was slowly restricted as time went on.
Newcastle's attack on both flanks was quite fierce, with constant passing on the right and Saint-Maximin's constant charging on the left, which allowed
Manchester United Football Club
s wing backs Dalot and LukeShaw simply couldn't get up to the offense, and Newcastle Guimaraes was fairly consistent in distributing the ball up the middle.
Manchester United Football Club
The lack of pressure in the center allowed Newcastle to keep distributing the ball down the right flank, and the duo of McTominay and Sabitzer left space for Newcastle to get the forwards to make forward runs as they retreated from the defense.
The first half ended in a stalemate between the two teams, and Newcastle was still playing open opposition in the second half when
Manchester United Football Club
's double-backed defensive zone has been stretched out, giving Newcastle plenty of opportunities to
Manchester United Football Club
With the offense dwindling, Ten Hagar made a quick substitution in the 61st minute, with Antony, who had been heavily defended, and Weghorst, who had been caught in a group of opposing defenders, being replaced by Sancho and Martial, with the intention of bolstering the attacking points up front on counter-attacks.
Newcastle's onslaught paid off on 64 minutes when Isak pulled out of the box to support his teammates, he suddenly laid the ball straight down the right flank, Guimaraes sprinted out and killed the right side of the box, he played a cross straight into the box, Saint-Maximin at the far post tipped the ball back into the middle of the area, Willock sprinted across the face of the goal and connected with the ball to put the ball in the net, in a full on sequence of attacks
Manchester United Football Club
's defense was overly concentrated in the middle of the field, and when Newcastle suddenly spread out
Manchester United Football Club
and didn't keep up, so Guimaraes and Saint-Maximin didn't touch the block when they made passes and catches on either side
Immediately after the goal, Newcastle replaced Saint-Maximin and Murphy with Gordon and Joelinton to start the counter-attack.
Manchester United Football Club
On the other hand, they were desperate to get a goal back on the counterattack, but their defense was questionable, the stares were not tight, and at the 75 mark Newcastle took a corner kick, and there were two more consecutive headers that were fortunately
Manchester United Football Club
We got a block on the goal line here.
Manchester United Football Club
In the 82nd minute another change was made, this time three in a row, with Martinez, McTominay, and Varane all being replaced by Lindelof, Fred, Pellistri
Manchester United Football Club
At this point, we're already trying to re-enforce our destructive capabilities in the center.
But the change didn't have an effect, as Newcastle continued to be very destructive on the right, and continued to attack down the right for the rest of the game, culminating in a set-piece on 87, which Trippier drove down the right, Wilson jumped on it from 5 yards out, Lindelof didn't jump at all, and the ball was pinpointed straight at the top of the goal!
A second score was scored on a takedown just before the end of the game.
Manchester United Football Club
There was no way back, losing 0-2 in a game where the
Manchester United Football Club
Neither of the two backs, Sabitzer and McTominay, were able to control the middle of the field, and defensively kept leaving space for the Newcastle midfielders to squeeze into the center of the field and rush into the penalty area, gradually relying on
Manchester United Football Club
The linebackers can't stop it, obviously.
Manchester United Football Club
Control in the middle relies heavily on Casemiro's individual ability, and Casemiro's absence from the field will now severely impact the ability of
Manchester United Football Club
defense
