Manchester United v Newcastle, Getty Images December 30, 2024, 11:55 p.m

No one knows for sure whether we were lucky or not, but on the last day of 2024, there will be no more big football. But in the penultimate one – please, the English Premier League did not waste the opportunity to hold three more matches within the nineteenth round of the national championship, and it so happened that the last one was the game at Old Trafford between Manchester United and Newcastle.

Obviously, this match did not come at the best time of the season for Ruben Amorim’s team, because the Red Devils have conceded in three consecutive meetings, as well as in the last two home games in total. Against this background, Eddie Gow’s team, with its streak of four consecutive victories, looked like a real favorite in the confrontation.

And what we saw in the first half in the performance of the “forty”, or rather what we did not see at all from the home team – the desire to play football, only confirmed this assumption. Amorim’s team simply failed in the first half of the meeting and conceded two goals of the same type as a result of passes from the left flank, which were alternately completed by Isak and Joelinton.

In response, Manchester United could not even get the ball into the penalty area for about half an hour, not to mention that the guests wasted several more excellent opportunities to bring this evening closer to the state of sensationally shocking. Tonali even hit the bar from close range, while the home team’s trio of central defenders was unclear as to what they were doing on the football field.

But there was not only a problem in the defense of the club from Manchester, which Amorim also understood, so Zirkze’s first replacement did not have to wait long. In the 33rd minute, Mainu appeared and it probably became a little calmer for the hosts behind, and the first opportunities began to appear in front. And here, Goilunn and Casemiro should reproach themselves for not taking advantage of these chances, although at a certain point, Newcastle, apparently, became so confident that they began to milk open game in defense.

And then there was the second half, during which the Gau team behaved much more modestly than before the break, while the opponents continued to accumulate scoring opportunities that ultimately did not lead to at least one goal. Maguire also hit the bar with a header, and Yoro in a similar style shot just wide. Yes, according to the number of opportunities, the “Red Devils” at least did not lose face completely, but points are not counted for this, and there are seven more points – and the relegation zone.

In the next round, Manchester United will visit Liverpool, and Newcastle will go to London’s Tottenham.

Manchester United — Newcastle 0:2
Goals: Isaac, 4, Joelinton, 19

Manchester United: Onana – Maguire, de Ligt (Antoni, 83), Martinez (Yoro, 65) – Mazraoui, Casemiro (Garnacho, 64), Eriksen, Dalot – Diallo, Zirkze (Mainu, 33) – Goilunn.

Newcastle: Dubravka — Trippier (Livramento, 58), Sher, Burn, Hall — Guimaraes, Tonali, Joelinton — J. Murphy (Barnes, 85), Isaac, Gordon (Willock, 85).

Warning: Martinez — Cher