The season has ended in the top leagues; in the Premier League, for example, it has already ended. Not all clubs go on vacation right away. Newcastle went to the capital of Australia, Melbourne, where they will play a friendly match with the All-Star Team of the local league. This is not the first such match for the Australians; previously there were meetings with top players like Barcelona and Juventus. Now the opponent is more modest, but also top-notch: Newcastle United.
Predicted line-ups for A-League All Stars vs Newcastle
A-League All Stars (4-4-2): Thomas – Guedes, Courtney-Perkins, Wooton, Grant – Hulman, Arslan, Brattan, Kraev – Stamatelopoulos, Irankounda
Newcastle (4-3-3 ): Pope – Craft, Sher, Byrne, Hall – Longstaff, Guimaraes, Joelinton – Murphy, Isak, Barnes.
Statistical preview of the A-League All Stars – Newcastle match
We are waiting for the exchange of goals. In three meetings in their history, the A-League All Stars have never left the field without a goal, but they themselves have conceded a lot. For the guests, “both will score” has been going on for the last six matches. Taking into account also the exhibition nature of the game, we can safely bet on “both will score – yes.”
More than three goals were scored in all matches involving the A-League All Stars. Newcastle had a similar total even in five of the last 10 official matches. We bet on the total over (3.5).
Prediction for the match A-League All Stars – Newcastle
Let us note that in the past, the Australian “stars” were visited by more established clubs than Newcastle: Barcelona (in 2022), Manchester United (in 2014) and Juventus (in 2013). The hosts lost all matches. Perhaps it will be easier against Newcastle? We doubt it, because the current version of “Team of Stars” is the weakest compared to the previous ones. The season is still underway in Australia; on May 25 there will be a play-off final between Melbourne Victory and Central Coast Mariners. It turns out that we won’t see players from the best teams in the league, that’s the paradox. Here’s what the hosts’ coach says before the match:
“We had a busy weekend, with the coaching staff and I weighing up different options as we watched the semi-final second legs. We wish the Central Coast Mariners and Melbourne Victory all the best and welcome the players from the Sydney and Wellington Phoenix teams. We will try to do everything in our power” – Patrick Kisnorbo.
Let’s summarize: Kisnorbo’s squad is far from the best, and most of the players are tired after difficult semi-finals. But Newcastle is bringing a fighting team and before the meeting with the Australians they beat Tottenham in another friendly match (2:1 after a penalty shootout). Apparently, we will not see the first successful result in the history of “A-League All Stars”; the difference in level and degree of readiness is obvious and it is in favor of the guests. We’re betting on Newcastle to win.
We also suggest considering the totals. The Australian “stars” matches are always a holiday; not a single meeting was complete without a decent number of goals. Two years ago we played 2:3 with Barca, shooting 25 times between us. Something similar suggests itself this time, especially since Newcastle, despite its excellent attack, is not reliable in defense, which means the hosts will have chances for goals. Our choice: total over (3.5).