- Newcastle U21 have won two, drawn two and lost only one of their last five games, while Blackburn Rovers U21 have lost four of their last five.
- The home side have won one and drawn one of their last two games at home, while Blackburn have lost two of their last two away fixtures.
- Newcastle score 1.50 goals per game at home in Premier League 2, and Blackburn Rovers U21 concede 2.75 per game on the road.
Newcastle and Blackburn set to serve up a good game
Newcastle U21 have won two, drawn one and lost five of their eight home Premier League 2 matches this season, but there is a marked improvement in their form since Diarmuid O’Carroll’s appointment as head coach.
O’Carroll took over as head of the Magpies’ academy in September 2024 and has set about implementing a possession-based system with wide overloading and creative full-backs.
Blackburn Rovers U21’s manager Mike Sheron has tried to emulate that style of play by setting up a compact and structured midblock which can transition quickly, but the results haven’t followed. Rovers U21 have played in either a 4-2-3-1 or a narrow 3-4-1-2 this season, but they have failed to find consistent results.
Blackburn Rovers U21 in poor form
Sheron’s team are in much worse form than their hosts at the moment and have lost three in a row, with a 3-2 defeat away at West Bromwich Albion Academy followed by a 2-1 home loss to Crystal Palace Academy last weekend.
Newcastle have won 3-0 at home to Fulham Academy, drawn 2-2 with both Brighton & Hove Albion Academy and Leicester City Academy over the past three games. In their eight home Premier League 2 games this term, Newcastle have won only two, drawn one and lost five, but this match looks winnable.
O’Carroll’s team are improving
Blackburn Rovers U21 have won only one, drawn one and lost six of their eight away Premier League 2 fixtures this term and have conceded a concerning 2.75 goals per match on their travels.
In contrast, Newcastle sit 21st on 17 points from 16 games, while Rovers are 28th on 11 points after 15 games.
Newcastle are in the better form and have home advantage on Friday, and at 41/50 they are short favourites to beat a Blackburn team that are 229/100.
Game will be a good test for both academies
With both teams likely to be on the front foot, this fixture should suit Newcastle U21 more as they will probe and probe for a way through until they find one while Blackburn will look to pounce on turnovers and set pieces.
Over 2.5 goals is rated 33/100 and looks a smart punt here, with the Magpies capable of notching a couple against this leaky Rovers defence in what should be a free-flowing game for the young stars on both sides to shine.
