Cardiff City and Newcastle United will both be looking to get off the mat when these teams meet in the first game of the second week of Premier League action this Saturday. Each team started its season with a loss, but not all losses are created equal. While Cardiff City were blanked on the road by Bournemouth, Newcastle looked lively in a loss to Tottenham Hotspur.
That performance has the oddsmakers liking Newcastle United’s chances in this match. They are not quite odds-on, but they are favored on the road in Wales. Cardiff City were one of the favorites to get relegated at the start of the season, while Newcastle United were a cheeky peak to finish in the top half of the table.
Don't miss the English Premier League action from Cardiff City Stadium in Cardiff, Wales at 7:30 a.m. ET on Saturday, August 18, 2018. Catch every moment of the match live on NBCSN.
English Premier League Betting at BookMaker.eu
Newcastle United +142
Cardiff City +222
Draw +206
Over/Under 2
Odds Analysis
The Bluebirds did not look sharp against Bournemouth. Cardiff managed just one shot on goal and lost the possession battle against Bournemouth too. Shoddy defending was the status quo for much of the match, with Bournemouth players constantly finding their way into space. The center backs looked poor, and they gave up a penalty but were bailed out by a magnificent save from goalkeeper Neil Etheridge. A better team would have been able to put three or four past the keeper though.
Meanwhile, the Magpies were great against Tottenham and very nearly got a result from the match. Newcastle looked solid on the attack with Joselu scoring a goal in the 11th minute and creating some great chances for his teammates as well. The Magpies ended up seeing two shots ricochet off the post, and another attempt was pulled just wide. For Rafael Benitez’s squad, the concern is back post defending in this one. Both of Tottenham’s goals came off of crosses to the far post, and Newcastle struggled to defend those.
Key Injuries
There are two players listed on the injury report for Cardiff City coming into this match. Iceland hero Aron Gunnarsson has been ruled out of this one already because of a knee injury. He is expected to return to duty soon, but the Bluebirds will miss his presence in the midfield. Cardiff are more optimistic with regards to Kenneth Zohore. The Danish forward did not play in the team’s first match, yet he is considered probable to play in this one as his groin injury improves.
Newcastle United have three players listed on the injury report. Center back Florian Lejeune is going to miss significant time after suffering what seems to be an ACL injury, and he may miss the entire year. Right back DeAndre Yedlin is expected to miss this match as well with a knee injury, but he has returned to training recently.
Player to Watch
Because of the injury to Lejeune, Newcastle felt they needed to go out and pick up a new center back. Just a couple days before the start of the Premier League campaign, the Magpies went out and grabbed center back Federico Fernandez from Swansea to fill the void. Fernandez and Benitez have worked together before, so he should be a quick study to the tactics employed. He was held out of the match against Tottenham last week, but Fernandez should make his debut for Newcastle here.
Free Soccer Betting Pick
I’m with the oddsmakers on this one. Cardiff looks like it might be the worst team in the Premier League, and I have little faith in what the Bluebirds are trying to do. Newcastle is very sound at the back, and I see them blanking Cardiff City here.
English Premier League Odds: Newcastle United 1, Cardiff City 0
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