Paul Merson, the former Arsenal midfielder, has admitted he was ‘taken aback’ by Newcastle United’s recent loss to Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League. However, he remains optimistic about Eddie Howe’s team and predicts they will make a comeback against Wolverhampton Wanderers in their upcoming match (scheduled for 5:30 pm).
Newcastle’s previously undefeated streak of eight matches was brought to an end by the Bundesliga team, who secured a 1-0 win with Felix Nmecha’s goal just before half-time. This result has left Group F wide open, with Paris Saint-Germain leading with six points, while United and Dortmund are tied with four points, and AC Milan sits at the bottom with two points.
Newcastle will be traveling to Germany the following week, but for now, their focus is on domestic competitions, starting with the game against Wolves. Merson believes that Howe’s team will emerge victorious with a score of 2-1.
“Wolves are a solid team and have achieved some commendable results this season. However, despite their recent loss to Borussia Dortmund, I’m going to pick Newcastle to win this match,” Merson stated in an interview with Sportskeeda. “I genuinely didn’t expect them to lose to the Bundesliga side.
“If Newcastle manages to advance to the UEFA Champions League knockout stages and secures a place in the Premier League’s top four, I would consider it a successful season for them.”
In the meantime, former Blackburn Rovers and Celtic striker Chris Sutton also anticipates a narrow victory for Newcastle (1-0).
Sutton noted, “This is a challenging one to predict – Wolves have put together a four-game unbeaten run, and Newcastle is dealing with a few injuries, along with Sandro Tonali’s suspension for breaking betting regulations,” as he shared in his BBC predictions column.
“I appreciate the work Gary O’Neil is doing at Molineux, but Newcastle’s solid defense at the moment will be the deciding factor in this match.
“I’m leaning toward Newcastle enduring some pressure and rebounding from their Champions League loss to Borussia Dortmund by securing the victory.”
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