Manchester City vs Newcastle United Match Prediction, Fantasy Football Tips and Possible Starting Lineups

It’s safe to say that the 2024/25 season hasn’t gone according to the script for Pep Guardiola and Manchester City. After 24 games, the Cityzens find themselves outside the guaranteed Champions League spots. And their task only gets harder on Saturday, as they prepare to face an in-form Newcastle United side at the Etihad Stadium.

Just days after scraping past Leyton Orient with a narrow 2-1 win in the FA Cup, Manchester City found themselves humbled once again – this time on the grand stage of the Champions League. Pep Guardiola’s side looked set for a crucial win against Real Madrid, holding a one-goal lead until the 85th minute. But then, it all unraveled. Late strikes from Brahim Diaz and Jude Bellingham saw City crumble under pressure, with Los Blancos snatching a dramatic 3-2 victory. 

Heading into Saturday’s must-win clash against Newcastle, the mood in the City dressing room will be anything but upbeat. Adding to their woes, City were hammered 5-1 by Arsenal in their last Premier League outing two weeks ago, leaving them languishing in fifth place. They now sit a daunting 18 points behind league leaders Liverpool. To make matters worse, they’re trailing Chelsea by two points in the race for fourth and are level on points with Newcastle, their next opponents, who also share the same goal difference.  

Eddie Howe’s men head into this clash riding a wave of momentum. The Magpies have enjoyed a stellar run of form recently, booking their spot in the Carabao Cup final after a gritty win over Arsenal and securing a place in the FA Cup fifth round with a victory against Birmingham City. In fact, Newcastle have only tasted defeat twice in their last 12 matches across all competitions. That said, their league form has been a bit more inconsistent. They’ve lost two of their last three Premier League outings, proving that while their cup form has been impressive, they haven’t quite hit their stride in the league. However, with a full week of rest under their belt – unlike City, who endured a draining midweek battle against Real Madrid – Newcastle might just have the edge in this crucial showdown. 

Manchester City vs Newcastle United – Match Time, Date and Venue 

Date: 15th February 2025            

Time: 8:30 PM (IST)       

Stadium: Etihad Stadium   

Location: Manchester, England 

Manchester City’s Possible Starting XI 

Ortega; Nunes, Dias, Ake, Gvardiol; Gonzalez, Kovacic; Savinho, Foden, Marmoush; Haaland. 

Newcastle United’s Possible Starting XI 

Dubravka; Livramento, Botman, Schar, Hall; Tonali, Guimaraes, Joelinton; Murphy, Isak, Gordon. 

Manchester City vs Newcastle United Fantasy Team 

Goalkeeper: Martin Dubravka (Newcastle) 

Defenders: Tino Livramento (Newcastle), Fabian Schar (Newcastle), Ruben Dias (City), Josko Gvardiol (City) 

Midfielders: Phil Foden (City), Bruno Guimaraes (Newcastle), Jacob Murphy (Newcastle) 

Forwards: Savinho (City), Erling Haaland (City), Alexander Isak (Newcastle) 

Manchester City vs Newcastle United Fantasy Lineup

Manchester City vs Newcastle United – Fantasy Team Captain and Vice-Captain  

Choice 1: Erling Haaland (C), Phil Foden (VC)  

Choice 2: Alexander Isak (C), Bruno Guimaraes (VC)  

Disclaimer:  

The author has provided you with the above-mentioned match prediction on the basis of his research, understanding, and analysis, consider the points and make your own decision.