Manchester City vs Newcastle prediction 16.03.2024

• Competition: FA Cup
• Date: Saturday, 16th March 2024
• Kickoff: 17:30 UK / 18:30 CET
• Venue: Etihad Stadium (Manchester)

Manchester City has already won two trophies this season — the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup. Pep Guardiola's team hopes to win three more titles this year. One of them is the FA Cup, where Manchester City will meet Newcastle on Saturday evening. Guardiola's team have an impressive run of 21 games without defeat in all competitions. In the previous match, they played 1-1 on the road against Liverpool. That was one of the rare games where the opponent had better stats, but Manchester City still avoided defeat. 

Newcastle aspires to become the best in the world. Still, after fourth place in the previous season, they are only a mid-table team this year, so it seems that this season has been a step back. Last weekend, Newcastle lost 3-2 on the road against Chelsea. The home side had an xG of 1.67, while guests had 0.83, so it is no wonder Newcastle suffered a defeat. Their only hope for a title remains the FA Cup, but they will meet Manchester City, so Newcastle can hardly expect to lift any trophy this season. 

Manchester City vs Newcastle pick: Over 3.5 goals

Manchester City scored 13 goals in the last four matches. Also, three of those four games went over 3.5 goals. On the other hand, Newcastle went over 3.5 goals in six of the previous eight games. Over 3.5 goals should be the best bet for this tie.