3 Head-To-Head Battles That Will Decide Newcastle United Vs Southampton

3. DEFENCE - Massadio Haidara (NUFC) Vs Ryan Bertrand (Saints)

Now here's a comparison between one of the Premier League's most-consistent defenders in Ryan Bertrand and Newcastle's dynamic 22-year-old full-back Massadio Haidara - who is trying to establish himself as the Magpies' first-choice left-back ahead of Paul Dummett. Bertrand was so impressive on loan at Southampton last season that the Saints paid a substantial fee to bring him to St Mary's permanently from Chelsea. He made 34 Premier League appearances, scoring twice and assisting the same amount. Haidara meanwhile suffered with fitness problems that have blighted his Newcastle career to date, and he managed just 15 appearances (12 starts, three off the bench) in the league for the Magpies last season - assisting just once. Defensively, Haidara seems to stack up surprisingly well against Bertrand though - which is not what you would necessarily expect from an attacking left-back. The Frenchman made more tackles (1.9 to 1.3), more interceptions (2.3 to 2), and more clearances (3.2 to 1.4) per game than his English counterpart, as well as committing fewer fouls (0.8 to 0.9). What's more, Haidara also dribbles more per game than Bertrand on average (1.1 to 0.6), highlighting how much the Newcastle full-back enjoys getting forward.

Steve McClaren has also revolutionised Newcastle's style in pre-season, encouraging his full-backs to bomb forward at every opportunity - something Haidara has seemed to thrive upon. However, that has also made the Magpies vulnerable on the counter-attack. Should Bertrand and his defensive teammates rob Haidara of possession and counter-attack quickly, then one of Newcastle's main attacking strengths could also turn into their biggest weakness. Verdict: Bertrand just shades it. Haidara's stats may look favourable, but Bertrand is extremely reliable and will offer a calming reassurance to the Saints side. His French counterpart, meanwhile, will have to ensure he covers back defensively as well as committing forward in attack.