Newcastle vs Liverpool
Premier League 2018-19
Venue: St James' Park
Date: Saturday, May 4, 2019
Kick-off: 7:45pm BST
After a chastening Champions League defeat to Barcelona at Camp Nou, Liverpool will try to continue their excellent domestic form and put more pressure on Manchester City in the final throes of the title race.
All but out of European football's elite club competition bar a remarkable semi-final second-leg turnaround on Merseyside, the Reds are in danger of seeing a terrific season pass by with no major silverware.
Liverpool are back to trailing the defending champions by one point with just two matches remaining after their 5-0 drubbing of relegated Huddersfield was followed by a slightly nervy win for City at Burnley that proved just how fine the margins are in this titanic battle.
Looking to extinguish their remaining title hopes and prevent Jurgen Klopp's prolific side from easing to an eighth successive league win are an in-form Newcastle team that once again have come on strong in the second half of the season to banish any relegation fears.
Former Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez continues to do great work on a limited budget, with the Magpies currently sitting comfortable in 13th after a draw at Brighton followed wins over Leicester and Southampton.
Newcastle vs Liverpool team news and predicted line-ups
Top scorer Ayoze Perez has been crucial to Newcastle's recent form - scoring their last five goals including a hat-trick against Southampton - and is likely to be fit to start against Liverpool after being forced off in the first half at Brighton with a bruised hip.
Benitez will also hope to welcome captain Jamaal Lascelles back from illness, but record signing Miguel Almiron (hamstring) will miss the rest of the season along with Sean Longstaff and Florian Lejeune (both knee). DeAndre Yedlin has a groin issue.
Newcastle XI: Dubravka, Manquillo, Schar, Lascelles, Dummett, Ritchie, Perez, Shelvey, Hayden, Atsu, Rondon
Aside from Adam Lallana, Liverpool had an almost entirely clean bill of health before that 3-0 defeat to Barcelona in which Naby Keita limped off with a serious adductor issue that is set to keep him out for around eight weeks.
Roberto Firmino is still struggling with the effects of a muscle tear despite coming on as a late substitute at Camp Nou and it remains to be seen if he will be able to return to the starting XI.
Liverpool XI: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Lovren, Van Dijk, Robertson, Fabinho, Henderson, Milner, Salah, Mane, Origi
Score prediction: Newcastle 1-3 Liverpool
Despite their heavy defeat, Klopp described Liverpool's performance against Barcelona as their best away from home in the Champions League for two years and he will be keen to keep morale high.
Newcastle are in confident mood and, backed by a strong home crowd for a rare Saturday night fixture, could pose a threat to their opponents' eight-game domestic winning streak, particularly if Perez is able to prove his fitness.
They may well keep it close for long stretches, but it would take a brave man to bet against Liverpool - or City - in the league these days, particularly given that they have already amassed a club-record haul of 91 points.
Betting tips via Betfair | UK users only | Subject to change
Match odds
- Newcastle to win: 9/1
- Draw: 4/1
- Liverpool to win: 4/11
First goalscorer odds
- Mohamed Salah: 11/4
- Sadio Mane: 9/2
- Roberto Firmino: 5/1
- Daniel Sturridge: 5/1
- Xherdan Shaqiri: 5/1
Click here to find the latest match odds and place a bet.
Newcastle vs Liverpool tickets
To check Newcastle ticket information, click here.
Liverpool have sold out their away allocation.
Head to head (h2h) history and results
These familiar foes have met 47 times in the top-flight in the Premier League era, with Liverpool boasting 26 wins to Newcastle's 11. There have been 10 draws.
On Boxing Day, the Reds eased to a 4-0 victory at Anfield thanks to goals from Dejan Lovren, Mohamed Salah, Xherdan Shaqiri and Fabinho.
TV channel and live stream, and online coverage
The match will be shown live on Sky Sports' Premier League and Main Event channels, and is available via Now TV with a day pass on offer for £8.99. Sky Sports subscribers can stream the match online via SkyGo and the SkyGo app.
You can also follow all the action on Standard Sport's LIVE blog with David Lynch.
