HomeZ OLD CATEGORIESEPLNewcastle set to face Metalist Kharkiv

Newcastle set to face Metalist Kharkiv

Cheik Tioté is expected to start for Newcastle in their Europa League game with Metalist Kharkiv, despite being arrested on suspicion of fraud on Tuesday.  He was stopped by police near Newcastle’s training ground, but later released without charge according to The Guardian.

Cheik Tioté started from the bench in the last game against Tottenham after recently returning to Newcastle after the African Cup of Nations and his replacement James Perch impressing in his absence.

Alan Pardew believes his fresh squad will be capable of winning the Europa League, if they can overcome a team tonight that the Newcastle manager thinks are stronger than Bordeaux, who finished above them in the group stage.

Newcastle are without Mathieu Debuchy and Yoan Gouffran who are ineligible, however  Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa is expected to make his debut alongside Fabricio Coloccini.

Metalist’s have just sold their main striker Taison to Shakhtar Donetsk for £12m this month, but under the management of Myron Markevich they remain as a strong opponents for the other team.

The Ukrainian side arrived in the Northeast on Friday, setting up a training base near Darlington. Metalist last competitive game was in early December ( the winter break lasts three months in Ukraine ), but recently they have travelled to Dubai and southern Spain for warm training camps. Metalist are currently 4th in the Ukrainian Premier League.

Match Notes (Courtesy of Eurosport) 

1.This will be the first meeting between Newcastle United and Metalist Kharkiv.

2.Newcastle’s four previous matches against Ukrainian opposition have all been against Dynamo Kyiv (W2 D1 L1).

3.Newcastle have won 18 and lost none of their last 23 home games in the Europa League.

4.Metalist’s only clash with English opposition came in the 2007/08 Europa League. They were eliminated in the first round by Everton.

5.Kharkiv have won five and lost two of their last nine away matches in Europe.

6.Oleksandr Goryainov made 31 saves in the group stages; more than any other goalkeeper that reached the knock-out stages.

7.Gael Bigirimana was the only Newcastle player to feature in all six group games for the club.

8.No side scored more goals in the final 15 minutes of Europa League group stage matches than Metalist Kharkiv (5).

9.Only Partizan Belgrade (56) and Molde (61) committed fewer fouls in the group stages than Newcastle (63).

10.Kharkiv picked up just five yellow cards in their six group games; meaning they had the best disciplinary record of any side.

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