Gary Neville believes Liverpool will defeat Newcastle in the Carabao Cup final and keep Magpies striker Alexander Isak from scoring.
Arne Slot’s side will be aiming to bounce back from their Champions League elimination by PSG, with Sunday’s final at Wembley offering the Dutch manager his first chance at silverware since taking over from Jurgen Klopp.
Meanwhile, Newcastle are determined to end a 70-year wait for a major trophy, hoping for better luck after losing in the final two years ago.
Liverpool recently beat Newcastle 2-0 in a Premier League match, and although Isak missed that game, Neville still expects Liverpool to keep a clean sheet even if the Swedish forward plays.
Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, Neville predicted: “I think Liverpool will win 2-1 or 2-0… 2-0 Liverpool.” Ian Wright challenged him, asking: “You’re not giving Alexander Isak a goal?”
Neville responded: “You know, Newcastle never seem to perform well at Wembley — I hope they do! You see all their fans traveling hours to get there and just wish they’d pull off a surprise.”
Wright also mentioned Newcastle’s poor showing in the 1998 FA Cup final against Arsenal, admitting: “When we played them in 1998, they didn’t play well — I don’t know why.”
Neville added: “I can’t see Salah and Van Dijk not walking away as winners on Sunday. Sometimes you just look at certain players and think, ‘Who’s going to stop them?’”
Both teams are dealing with absences: Liverpool might miss Trent Alexander-Arnold due to injury, while Newcastle will be without suspended Anthony Gordon. However, Isak is expected to feature, with Eddie Howe optimistic about his squad’s fitness, saying: “We’re hopeful for a clean bill of health. You never know until closer to the game, but right now, we look good.”