- Newport County have won two of their last three home games in League Two.
- Oldham Athletic have won eight, drawn six and lost eight of their 22 road games in League Two, conceding an average of just 1.05 goals per-game on their travels.
- The Latics won 3-0 at home to the Exiles in the reverse league match five months ago.
Opposing styles on show at Rodney Parade
Two contrasting approaches to soccer will come head-to-head when Newport County FC host Oldham Athletic at Rodney Parade on Saturday.
Christian Fuchs has made the Exiles difficult to beat and a tough team to watch during his brief reign at the South Wales club.
His pragmatic, direct style focuses on defensive structure, quick transitions, and wide service to a target forward through his three-at-the-back system. With wingbacks providing the width, there is little scope for flair or individual creativity.
Nathaniel Opoku is the most potent striker the Welsh outfit have at their disposal this season with six goals in 30 League Two games, but his physical presence in the attack has been a real asset for Fuchs’ team.
Latics boss Micky Mellon is an entirely different animal, preferring a high-press, route-one style that should overwhelm smaller teams when it clicks.
Oldham’s wing-backs are encouraged to bomb forward while the team as a whole press with an aggressive physicality that can overwhelm opponents when their tactic of overloading the wide areas clicks.
Jamie Robson provides the creative spark with three assists and a goal in his last five appearances for the visitors.
Mike Fondop-Talum has been Oldham’s main goal threat this season with eight goals in 40 league games and he will be key to the Latics’ chances of getting back to winning streak after three straight defeats.
For more details on the teams' approaches, see this Newport County FC vs Oldham Athletic preview.
Oldham can nick it at the Rodney
Oldham’s recent form has been poor with one win, one draw and three defeats in their last five League Two matches, including consecutive away losses to Shrewsbury Town and Barrow.
But with the visitors sitting 11th in the table on 65 points from 44 games and Newport County in 22nd on 37 after the same number of games, the Latics are our Newport County FC vs Oldham Athletic prediction to snag a win at 2.43.
Newport’s home form has been solid with five wins, four draws and 13 losses from 22 matches in League Two, but they have conceded an average of 1.59 goals per-game at the home stadium and Oldham can score here.
Furthermore, the Newport County FC vs Oldham Athletic betting tips suggest that the clash of three-at-the-back systems should lead to a physical midfield battle and the wing-backs will decide this one. Our Newport County FC vs Oldham Athletic prediction is a low-scoring game at 1.78 for under 2.5 total goals and both teams are unlikely to score in this one at 1.96.
