Newcastle United host Maritimo tonight, looking to secure a place in the final 32 of the Europa League. The match is a 8.05pm kick-off and there will be live TV coverage on ESPN in the UK. For radio coverage, listen to the full 90 minutes on BBC Radio Newcastle. In the build-up Alan Pardew has confirmed that Jonas Gutierrez will start after returning from a knee injury. Fabricio Coloccini will also feature in the game as he is currently serving a three-game league ban for the straight red card he received against Liverpool. Midfielders Yohan Cabaye and Cheick Tiote will both be unavailable; the former is set to undergo surgery whilst Tiote is suspended after receiving a booking in the previous encounter against Club Brugge. Pardew says Newcastle need to win tonight: “The most important thing for me is we can’t lose three home games in a row. Our fans are upset and restless. “We have to put out a team that is good enough to win tonight.” Opposition – Maritimo sit at the bottom of Group D with just two points, if they don’t win tonight then they will be out of the competition. They are coming into the game after a 3-0 win away from home against Aguiar da Beira in the Taca De Portugal cup. However, their form in the Primeira Liga hasn’t been great; having only won one in the last seven. Like Newcastle, they sit 12th in the league. Speaking about tonight’s game, manager Pedro Martins said: “We recognise it will be difficult, given Newcastle have a much higher budget than ours, but we know with a win it still be possible to progress. “We believe we can get a big result. We have been looking forward to this match. We are incredibly motivated to do well and we are able to have a good night.” Man with the whistle – Danny Makkelie. The Dutchman has overseen 17 games so far this season, handing out 65 yellow cards and nine red cards in the process. Here’s our PREDICTED starting XI: Prediction: 3-0 – Cisse and Marveaux to score. What is your starting XI and prediction? Comment below and let us know.
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