Preview: Valencia vs Newcastle United - prediction, team news, lineups

Rounding off their preseason, Valencia host Newcastle United at the Estadio de Mestalla on Saturday evening in the Trofeu Taronja, with both clubs using the occasion to finalise preparations ahead of their opening fixtures of the new campaign.

Carlos Corberan’s side will be looking to end a mixed preseason on a high in front of their own supporters, while Matthias Jaissle, taking charge of Newcastle for the first time, faces an immediate test of how quickly his ideas are taking shape.

Match preview

Saturday’s match represents the final preseason fixture for Valencia, who have had an eventful summer of preparation ahead of the new LaLiga campaign with results going both ways across their five matches so far.

The Che opened their preseason with a 3-1 defeat to Petro de Luanda before responding with a 3-0 win over Eldense, and across their five outings in total they have managed two wins, two defeats and a draw.

Their most recent result, a 1-1 stalemate with Stoke City, left questions unanswered ahead of the new season in which Corberan will be targeting European qualification.

Valencia finished ninth in LaLiga last season with 49 points, a strong run of form towards the end of the campaign ultimately leaving them just two points short of Getafe, who secured a Europa Conference League qualifying spot in seventh place.

The club have moved to strengthen their squad this summer, bringing in Ryunosuke Sato from FC Tokyo, alongside free arrivals Aliou Dieng and Justin De Haas as Corberan looks to add the depth needed to push for European football this season.

Valencia will begin their LaLiga campaign at home against Celta de Vigo on August 22, and Saturday’s fixture against Newcastle represents their last opportunity to iron out any remaining issues before competitive football begins in earnest.

Newcastle United arrive at the Mestalla in the midst of a significant period of transition, having finished 12th in the Premier League last season with 49 points - a campaign that also included a notable UEFA Champions League run, highlighted by a 6-1 victory over Qarabag and a chastening 7-2 defeat to Barcelona.

Eddie Howe’s departure at the end of the season brought the curtain down on a significant era at the club, and Jaissle has since been appointed as head coach - making Saturday’s match against Valencia one of the earliest indicators of the direction the German intends to take the club.

Newcastle’s preseason results have been mixed. An opening 3-0 win over Darlington was followed by a 1-1 draw with Gateshead, before a 4-1 defeat to Championship side Bristol City in their most recent outing.

After Valencia, they will take on Everton and Bayer Leverkusen before rounding off their pre-season campaign against Strasbourg.

The departures from St James’ Park this summer have been substantial, with Sandro Tonali, Anthony Gordon, Kieran Trippier, Matt Targett and Bruno Guimaraes all leaving the club - a significant overhaul that explains in part why the early pre-season results have been inconsistent.

New arrivals Bazoumana Toure, Sean Steur, Afner Ca and Aladji Bamba are among those pushing for involvement as Jaissle assesses his options, and Saturday’s fixture against a LaLiga side will give the Newcastle head coach a clearer picture of where his squad stands ahead of their Premier League opener against Liverpool on August 23.

Valencia Club friendlies form:

Newcastle United friendlies form:

Team News

Valencia head into Saturday’s match with a significant injury list. Diego Lopez is sidelined until March 2027 following a cruciate ligament tear, while Sergi Canos is nearing his comeback from the same injury and could be available around November 2026.

Alberto Mari is in the final stages of recovery from surgery on a left hamstring injury sustained in March and is approaching full fitness, though Saturday may come too soon for the forward.

Dimitri Foulquier continues his recovery from left knee surgery carried out in February, while winger Luis Rioja is expected to miss four to six weeks with a right quadriceps muscle injury sustained during the Stoke City friendly.

Umar Sadiq is also unavailable after picking up a minor hamstring tear in pre-season, further limiting Corberan’s attacking options for the Trofeu Taronja.

For Newcastle, Lewis Miley is sidelined, with his potential return date aligning with the Premier League opener against Liverpool on August 23, making his involvement in Saturday’s friendly unlikely.

Fabian Schar is managing minor groin tightness after limping off in the 21st minute against Bristol City.

William Osula is a doubt, having dealt with a minor groin complaint picked up in training, with the forward having missed recent preseason fixtures.

Valencia possible starting lineup:

Dimitrievski; Monferrer, De Haas, Tarrega, Gaya; Rioja, Ugrinic, Rodriguez, Guerra, Sato; Danjuma

Newcastle United possible starting lineup:

Jaouen; Murphy, Botman, Alex Murphy, Hall; Ramsey, Steur, Willock; Elanga, Neave, Barnes

We say: Valencia 2-1 Newcastle United

Newcastle’s heavy summer turnover and a 4-1 defeat to a Championship side in their most recent outing suggest Jaissle’s squad is still finding its footing, and Valencia, despite their own mixed preseason, carry the advantage of greater familiarity within their squad at the Mestalla.

Corberan will be desperate to send his supporters into the new season on a positive note ahead of their LaLiga opener against Celta de Vigo, and with Newcastle still adjusting to both a new head coach and a heavily reshaped squad, the hosts are backed to edge this friendly.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.