This week sees the FA Cup third round replays take place and after a draw in the first game at St James’ Park, Blackburn face Newcastle at Ewood Park to determine who will make the fourth round. The winner of this tie will be at home in round four, taking on Premier League Watford and a home game should give them hope of reaching round five, despite the team waiting for them.

There is not too much between these two teams, and with Blackburn being at home in this game, that evens out the playing field even more. Newcastle are a league above Blackburn, although they are currently in the Premier League relegation zone, and they come here on the back of some very disappointing games. While Blackburn are not challenging at the top of the Championship, they are going along nicely in mid-table, and they come here on the back of two wins in a row. They are just six points off the playoffs and they know a good run gives them every chance of making it, which would certainly be an overachievement after coming up from League One last summer.

Blackburn vs Newcastle – What Happened in the First Game

The first game between these two came at the start of the year and ended 1-1. Blackburn took the lead through Bradley Dack just under an hour into the game, and Newcastle managed to rescue a draw and take this to a replay with six minutes to go thanks to a penalty from Matt Ritchie.

There was one big difference between the two teams in the first game and that was the quality of finishing on offer. Newcastle had the better of the play, and they had a few chances to put the ball in the back of the net but a combination of good goalkeeping and poor finishing cost them the chance to win the game. That is certainly something they will have to look at in this game, and it may mean that they play a slightly stronger team that we saw in the first game.

In that first game, Newcastle made eight changes from their previous Premier League game and it will be very interesting to see what they do in this one. I’m sure Rafa Benitez would love to play a strong team here, but The Magpies have a number of big games coming up as they look to survive in the Premier League, and that is a far more important competition for them right now. That may force Benitez to play a weakened team as they look to rest players ahead of returning to the Premier League next weekend, and that could give Blackburn a great chance to knock out their Premier League opposition.

What is Going Off Behind the Scenes at Newcastle?

If you want a fascinating Premier League story towards the bottom of the table right now then look no further than Newcastle. This should be one of the biggest clubs in the Premier League, with a huge fan base and a big name manager but they are leaving a lot to be desired right now. There appears to be a constant battle between the fans and manager Rafa Benitez against owner Mike Ashley about how he is funding the club and the lack of funds to bring in new players.

Benitez has been even more vocal against Ashley in recent weeks, bringing more fans onto his side and they are clearly united behind the manager right now, despite being in the bottom three. Many clubs would have a question mark over their manager if they were in relegation trouble, but it seems Newcastle fans are happy to pin all of their problems on Mike Ashley.

The good news for those who follow Newcastle is that the club is up for sale, and parties are interested according to Ashley. However, while that may be good in the long run and give them a better outlook, it may not help them this season. We have just over two weeks to go until the transfer window closes and if everything that is wrong at the club is down to a lack of funds, then if someone else takes over, it is going to be a rush to get things through.

They would need to sign the deal to take overall control of the club, meet with manager Benitez to discuss the new budget and then allow him to do some work and agree which targets to bring in. That is a lot to ask in less than three weeks, and although it may be good for the bigger picture, in the short term that leaves Rafa with the same squad of players that are currently in the relegation zone.

Those who are close to the club will be feeling many different emotions right now towards Benitez, Ashley and the team. There may be good news on the horizon, but that isn’t sure to fix their problems this season. Whatever happens, it is a fascinating watch for us who are looking in from the outside, and the tussle for power in the north east looks set to continue.

Blackburn vs Newcastle Betting Tips

This has the potential to be a very good, even game with the Championship team being at home. Newcastle were wasteful in the first game and it is likely they will field a similar team here, even if they don’t want to, due to some big Premier League games coming up. That should give Blackburn the encouragement they need to fancy their chances, and rightfully so, they have a fantastic chance to get through to the next round.

I am backing Blackburn to win this game on Tuesday night, they are the favourites to win the game and that is correct, but they still offer good value. They should feel confident after two good Championship wins and after pushing The Magpies so hard in the first game. They are far more likely to take this game seriously and put out their best possible team, and that means there will be very little difference between the quality on the field, despite these two being a division apart.

Newcastle have plenty going off right now, with off-field battles, a potential sale and also a relegation battle on the horizon. This game is the last thing they need right now, and I think it is going to end in defeat to put another loss on their record. This should be close, but I’m going for Blackburn to beat the Premier League side.

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