- 1 Newcastle United vs Strasbourg: two rotten summers, one last shot
- 2 Newcastle United: a rebuilt squad still trying to find its feet
- 3 Strasbourg: a pre-season from hell and a stripped-down squad
- 4 Football Prediction Newcastle United vs Strasbourg
- 5 Before anything else, a word on our free picks
- 6 No commitment from us
- 7 Information changes fast
- 8 Your responsibility
- 9 Responsible gambling comes first
- 10 Legal age
- 11 About the visuals…
Newcastle United vs Strasbourg: two rotten summers, one last shot 
Six warm-up games, six defeats, 22 goals conceded. That is the baggage Strasbourg bring to St James’ Park on Sunday 16 August at 16h.
Newcastle arent exactly arriving full of swagger either. The Magpies were beaten 3-1 by Everton at Murrayfield last Wednesday.
The English club has changed shape over the past year, and not for the better. After finishing fifth in 2024-25 and sneaking into the Champions League, Newcastle ended up in the bottom half last season, their worst finish since 2021-22.
The fallout this summer has been harsh. Bruno Guimarães and Sandro Tonali have gone, Eddie Howe has gone too, and Matthias Jaissle has taken over the dressing room.
Strasbourg have lived through a similar story, just on a smaller stage. Eighth in Ligue 1, one point shy of Monaco and the Conference League, the Alsace club then watched Valentin Barco and Emmanuel Emegha head to Chelsea.
Their pre-season has been a disaster since training resumed on 20 July. Five goals scored, 22 conceded, including seven against Sporting in their very first outing.
This fixture sits inside the VisitMalta Weekender, the football weekend Newcastle are staging on 15 and 16 August. It is also the final test for both clubs before their domestic seasons begin.
A stronger English side up against a defence shipping close to four goals a game: the direction of travel is pretty obvious.
Newcastle United: a rebuilt squad still trying to find its feet
Newcastle have been inconsistent this summer, with two wins, one draw and two defeats from five friendlies. The latest setback, that 3-1 loss to Everton, left the worst aftertaste.
The club’s world has changed completely in 12 months. The departures of captain Bruno Guimarães and Sandro Tonali have ripped the heart out of the Magpies midfield.
Matthias Jaissle inherits a squad that needs rebuilding, with the attacking senior players left to provide the spine. Nick Woltemade, Anthony Elanga and Yoane Wissa remain the main weapons up front.
The injury list muddies the picture. Fabian Schär and Lewis Miley are close to returning but are expected to miss this one, one with a groin issue and the other with a calf problem.
Valentino Livramento is also doubtful after picking up a calf injury earlier in pre-season. The full-back is already coming off a stop-start 2025-26 campaign because of injury.
History leans the English way. Newcastle have already beaten Saint-Etienne and Brest at St James’ Park in friendlies, and will be chasing a third straight win over French opposition.
Playing in front of their own crowd a week before the Premier League starts usually sharpens the focus. Jaissle needs a clean result to get his season moving.
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Strasbourg: a pre-season from hell and a stripped-down squad 
No wins in six warm-up matches. No Ligue 1 club has had a heavier summer than Racing.
The detail is even uglier than the record. Five goals scored, 22 conceded, an average of almost four goals shipped per game.
The latest outing ended in a 2-0 defeat to Freiburg. There has been no sign of defensive recovery in recent weeks.
The transfer window has stripped away key positions. Valentin Barco and Emmanuel Emegha have joined Chelsea, the club’s owner, while goalkeeper Mike Penders has returned to London after his loan spell.
Up front, the biggest absence is Joaquín Panichelli. The Argentinian striker, who scored 16 Ligue 1 goals last season, is out with a torn ACL.
Julio Enciso and Abdoul Ouattara are also not expected to be involved, with an agreement reached with Ipswich Town for both players. That leaves Strasbourg’s attack badly weakened.
Racing do at least have one encouraging result against English opposition. Strasbourg beat Crystal Palace 2-1 at home last season in the Conference League, against the team that would go on to win the competition.
Probable Newcastle United lineup: Hornicek ; Hall, Botman, Thiaw, Miley ; Joelinton, Woltemade, Touré ; Barnes, Wissa, Elanga
Probable Strasbourg lineup: Jørgensen ; Doué, Omobamidele, Sylla, Chilwell ; El Mourabet, Nanasi, Del Blanco ; Moreira, Reyna, Goro
Football Prediction Newcastle United vs Strasbourg
Our prediction: Over 2.5 goals in the match
Strasbourg have conceded 22 goals in six warm-up games, an average of 3.67 per match. None of their six summer outings finished tight.
Newcastle, meanwhile, have Woltemade, Wissa, Elanga and Barnes in front of their home crowd, and they come in off a four-goal game against Everton. The Alsace defence, without Barco and Penders, does not look capable of holding that line.
Racing score too little and concede too much, but five goals in six games is still enough to keep the numbers moving in an open pre-season contest. We are taking over 2.5 goals.
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