FA Cup: Newcastle's test before the "Qarabag" match - "Aston Villa" game review

The FA Cup fourth round matches are taking place this weekend.

Idman.Biz reports that the 1/16 final stage covers February 13-16, and the winners will advance to the next stage, as well as receive a significant bonus of 127,000 pounds.

It should be noted that in this stage, the teams decide their fate in one game: in case of a draw, extra time and a penalty shootout are provided.

"Aston Villa" – "Newcastle" (February 14)

This is the match that will be watched with special attention in Azerbaijan: already next week, on February 18, "Newcastle" will face "Qarabag" of Agdam in Baku in the Champions League play-off stage. For this reason, every detail regarding the situation of Eddie Howe's team is of additional importance.

The main topic of the week in the "Newcastle" camp is the health status of captain Bruno Guimaraes. Howe confirmed that the club is still waiting for accurate information regarding the degree of the Brazilian's hamstring injury. Lewis Miley will have to miss the game again. Regarding Joelinton and Tino Livramento, the head coach has given cautiously optimistic signals about the return period.

In general, this match is also important for "Newcastle" in terms of checking the depth of the squad: the busy schedule in February requires balancing between local results and preparation for European cups. For "Aston Villa", it is a chance to confirm ambitions on the cup evening at home and eliminate a strong opponent from the competition in one game. The price of a mistake is maximum in such matches.

"Macclesfield" – "Brentford" (February 16)

The main romance of the tour is related to "Macclesfield" - the representative of the sixth division has already become a sensation of the tournament. The team eliminated the current cup holder "Crystal Palace" in the third round and gained the right to host the next Premier League club.

For a wide audience, this is a good opportunity to get to know "Macclesfield" better: a small city, a cup atmosphere, a full stadium and a coaching staff trying to make the most of a historic chance. For "Brentford", this is a test of professionalism - a typical cup game where the status of a favorite creates the most pressure and any complacency can turn the evening into a nightmare.

Other matches of the FA Cup fourth round:

February 13

"Hull City" – "Chelsea" 0:4

"Wrexham" – "Ipswich" 1:0

February 14

"Burnley" – "Mansfield Town"

"Burton Albion" – "West Ham"

"Liverpool" – "Brighton"

"Manchester City" – "Salford City"

"Norwich" – "West Bromwich"

"Port Vale" – "Bristol City" (postponed to March 3)

"Southampton" – "Leicester"