It’s one of the most intriguing clashes of the season at Elland Road, and Peter Beagrie is expecting The Magpies to have too much for The Whites.
Peter Beagrie says the fact Leeds United are expected to give Newcastle United a stern test on Sunday proves how much they’ve developed this season – but expects Rafa Benitez’s side to come out on top, as reported by the Newcastle Chronicle.
Leeds have endured a difficult couple of seasons since Massimo Cellino took over, with a number of managers trying and failing to even push for a play-off spot.
However, the dark days appear to be a thing of the past under new boss Garry Monk, the highly-rated former Swansea coach leading The Whites into the play-off positions for the first time since late 2013 thanks in part to a three game winning run capped by a dramatic late win against Norwich last time out.
Newcastle, meanwhile, appear to be cruising back to the Premier League under Champions League winning manager Rafael Benitez, boosted by arguably the most impressive squad ever assembled at this level.
And Beagrie believes the vast options at Benitez’s disposal could make the difference on Sunday.
“I think the advantage is with Newcastle because of the strength of their squad and how they could change it. If I was going for a high-scoring winner it would be Newcastle,” said Beagrie, as reported by the Newcastle Chronicle.
“Leeds are going head-to-head with Newcastle though, so they’ve come on a lot.”
While Premier League quality players such as Matt Ritchie, Dwight Gayle and Jonjo Shelvey have hogged the headlines for their outstanding displays this term, the likes of Aleksandar Mitrovic (below), Mo Diame and DeAndre Yedlin have been left on the bench in recent weeks.
Consequently, Newcastle appear to be able to switch up their squad with minimal risk while Garry Monk has relied on a smaller group of key players this term, a potentially key factor at the weekend.
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