Newcastle's tour of Japan begins with a trip to the Saitama Stadium 2002 on Wednesday where they will face Urawa Reds.
The hosts are currently in the middle of the J-League season which means they should present a tough challenge for their Premier League guests.
Newcastle, who recently beat Hull City 2-0 in a friendly, are likely to play a strong side and could welcome back some of those players who were been given extended leave due to international commitments.
Contents
Urawa Reds vs Newcastle prediction: Goals expected in Saitama
Key Stats
- Three of Newcastle's last five matches have witnessed at least three goals.
- Both teams have scored in four of the Magpies' last six outings.
- Urawa Reds have only failed to score in one of their last six fixtures.
Correct score prediction: Urawa Reds 2-2 Newcastle
Wednesday's hosts have scored at least two goals in four of their last six matches, while Newcastle have scored two or more goals in three of their last five fixtures.
Pre-game odds and win probability: Odds not yet available
- HOME: N/A
- DRAW: N/A
- AWAY: N/A
*odds from Ladbrokes, subject to change
You can find all our predictions for today's games on our football betting tips page.
Most recent H2Hs: First-ever meeting
Urawa Reds and Newcastle have never played one another before but the hosts have played against an English side before in the form of Manchester City, losing the game 3-0.
Urawa Reds preview: Not having a good season
Urawa Reds sit tenth in the J-League table after 24 games which is very disappointing when you consider that the Japanese club finished fourth last year.
Wednesday's hosts didn't win a trophy last season but were crowned the AFC Champions League winners in 2022, a year that they also won the Japanee Super Cup.
Brazilian Thiago Santana is the player Newcastle will need to watch out for in their upcoming friendly as teh 31-year-old former Santa Clara striker has scored 10 times in the J-League this season.
Predicted lineup: Nishikawa (GK), Høibråten, Ishihara, Inoue, Watanabe, Sekine, Matsuo, Okubo, Takeda, Ito & Yasui
Japan J-League 28/09/24
L
Vissel Kobe
1
Urawa Red Diamonds
0
Japan J-League 21/09/24
L
FC Tokyo
2
Urawa Red Diamonds
0
Japan J-League 14/09/24
W
Gamba Osaka
0
Urawa Red Diamonds
1
Japan J-League 31/08/24
D
Machida Zelvia
2
Urawa Red Diamonds
2
Japan J-League 17/08/24
D
Kashima Antlers
0
Urawa Red Diamonds
0
Newcastle preview: Having a quiet summer
Eddie Howe's side kicked off their pre-season friendlies with a 1-1 draw against Tottenham which was followed up by an 8-0 defeat against the A-League All-Stars, though, Newcastle did field a young side for that game.
Ahead of their trip to Asia, Newcastle beat Hull City 2-0 and Alexander Isak got on the scoresheet. In terms of transfers, it's been a quiet summer so far for Newcastle with Elliot Anderson and Yankuba Minteh leaving for big money and Lewis Hall and Odysseas Vlachodimos being brought in for around £55m, while Lloyd Kelly and John Ruddy have signed on free transfers.
Predicted lineup: Pope (GK), Livramento, Krafth, Burn, Lewis, Hall, Joelinton, Miley, Murphy, Isak & Barnes
England EFL Cup 01/10/24
W
AFC Wimbledon
0
Newcastle
1
England Premier League 28/09/24
D
Man City
1
Newcastle
1
England Premier League 21/09/24
L
Fulham
3
Newcastle
1
England Premier League 15/09/24
W
Wolverhampton
1
Newcastle
2
England Premier League 01/09/24
W
Tottenham
1
Newcastle
2
Player to watch – Alexander Isak
There were some concerns amongst the fanbase that Newcastle might have to sell their star asset Alexander Isak this summer but it looks like the Swedish international will be staying at St James' Park this season.
Isak has adapted really well to life in England, scoring 35 times in 67 games across all competitions, and has become a fan favourite on Tyneside.
Newcastle fans will be delighted that Isak is still their player
We're expecting a big performance from Newcastle's star striker on Wednesday against Urawa Red Diamonds in what should be an entertaining 90 minutes with action at both ends of the pitch.
