Manchester United will be looking to break into the Premier League top four on Sunday when they face Newcastle at Old Trafford.
A 2-1 win away at Everton saw United overtake Brighton and rise to fifth in the table, with Sunday's opposition Newcastle hot on their heels in sixth. Erik ten Hag's side will enter the clash on the back of a narrow 1-0 victory over Omonia Nicosia in the Europa League, with United now needing just one point from their remaining two games to secure qualification to the knockout stages.
United face Newcastle just as the Magpies have hit their best form of the season, winning 4-1 and 5-1 in their last two games. Cristiano Ronaldo scored two on his second debut when Newcastle visited Old Trafford last season in a 4-1 victory.
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Ten Hag has confirmed that Anthony Martial could return on Sunday after picking up an injury against Everton. Scott McTominay is suspended after picking up five yellow cards in the league, whilst Donny van de Beek, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Harry Maguire remain out injured.
So, could United pick up three points against Newcastle on Sunday? We simulated the game to find out. To complete this simulation, we used FIFA 23 and updated the squads with the latest injuries and suspensions.
We simulated Manchester United vs Newcastle to get a score prediction
We predict that United could set up in a 4-3-3 formation, with their line-up as follows: De Gea; Dalot, Varane, Martinez, Malacia; Fernandes, Casemiro, Eriksen; Antony, Martial, Rashford.
We predict that the Magpies could line up in a 4-3-3 formation, with their line-up as follows: Pope; Trippier, Schar, Botman, Burn; Longstaff, Guimaraes, Willock; Almiron, Wilson, Saint-Maximin.
It was a poor start from United, with Ten Hag's side allowing Newcastle to get on the ball and play with little pressure. Both sides created chances, but Newcastle took the lead early on through Allan Saint-Maximin.
Bruno Guimares won back possession in the United half to kick-start a Newcastle attack, feeding the ball out wide to Miguel Almiron. The winger spotted the bursting run of Saint-Maximin who sped away from Diogo Dalot and into the box, and the Frenchman drilled his effort past David De Gea to hand his side the lead.
Dalot was poor for the opening goal, allowing Saint-Maximin to get past him with ease. But matters got worse for United 30 minutes in, with Newcastle doubling their lead through an almost identical goal.
Once again, United were dispossessed on the halfway line, allowing Newcastle to push forward. Saint-Maximin made the same run as the first goal, skipping past Dalot with ease again and breaking into the box unmarked.
Almiron's through ball was met by the winger, and he fired past De Gea to make it 2-0 to the Magpies. United restored hope just before the half-time interval, with Christian Eriksen pulling a goal back.
A late run forward from Fernandes saw the midfielder ghost into the box, with Newcastle's lackadaisical defending allowing Fernandes to pick up the ball unmarked. The Portugal international flicked the ball into the path of Eriksen, and the midfielder blasted past Nick Pope to halve the deficit.
Substitute Cristiano Ronaldo injected some more aggression into the United attack, and the striker came close early in the second half as his thunderous effort hit the bar. Unfortunately for United, they couldn't find a way back into the game, falling to defeat against Newcastle.
FIFA 23 predicted final score: Manchester United 1-2 Newcastle United
Here are the full-time match stats.
FIFA 23 predicts that an in-form Newcastle side could surprise Man United on Sunday, with the simulation predicting a 2-1 win for the visitors. Both goals scored by Newcastle were carbon copies of each other, with the pace of Saint-Maximin a threat United will need to be wary of on Sunday.
What do you think the final score will be? Let us know in the comments!
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