Southampton host Newcastle United in the Premier League this afternoon.
Pundit Mark Lawrenson has told BBC Sport that he thinks Southampton will beat Newcastle United 2-1 at St. Mary’s Stadium this afternoon.
Southampton head into the game having lost 2-1 to Stoke City before the international break, with new manager Mauricio Pellegrino still searching for some consistency.
Having won two, drawn two and lost three of his first seven games in charge, Pellegrino hasn’t quite hit the ground running since replacing Claude Puel over the summer, and he will be looking to avoid another defeat having lost three of the last four.
Rafael Benitez (L) speaks with Mauricio Pellegrino
Today, Pellegrino welcomes Newcastle United to the South Coast, which means the Argentinian will be reunited with Magpies boss Rafael Benitez after a long working relationship between the pair.
Pellegrino played under Benitez at Valencia and Liverpool, before also working on his staff at Liverpool and Inter Milan, and the two will be going up against each other this afternoon.
Newcastle drew 1-1 at home with Liverpool before the international break, meaning that the Magpies have taken ten points from the last five games, with Benitez bouncing back from two defeats to open the season.
The Spaniard will now be hoping for another positive result this afternoon, but pundit Mark Lawrenson is predicting a 2-1 defeat for Newcastle, as he told BBC Sport.
Lawrenson praised Benitez for how he set his side up against Liverpool, but feels Southampton will hit back from their 2-1 defeat at Stoke by claiming all three points this afternoon.
“I thought Newcastle were decent in their draw against Liverpool, and it was another example of how good Rafael Benitez is at setting his side up for games like that,” said Lawrenson. “I don’t think the Magpies will fare so well on the south coast, however.”
“Southampton are another team that have been short of goals but they deserved to get something against Stoke in their last game, and I think they will edge this one,” he added.
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