Sunderland welcome Middlesbrough to the Stadium of Light in a crunch Wear-Tees derby encounter.
Victory will see Sunderland climb to ninth in the table, whereas Middlesbrough can go third with a win.
Team News
Luke O’Nien is ruled out for Sunderland after he was red carded in their 3-1 defeat to Swansea last weekend, and now begins a three-match suspension.
Aji Ajlese, Niall Huggins (ankle), Dennis Cirkin (hip), Alex Pritchard (calf) and Elliot Embleton (ankle) remains absent.
Middlesbrough could again be without Darragh Lenihan due to a foot injury which has kept him out of their last two matches.
Anfernee Dijksteel (knee) and Matthew Clarke (back) both remain absent.
Stat Attack
- Sunderland are winless in their last six league meetings against Middlesbrough (D2, L4).
- Middlesbrough are unbeaten in five of their last seven league visits to Sunderland (W4, D1, L2).
- None of the goalscorers in Sunderland’s last home meeting against Middlesbrough remain at either club (Joel Asoro, Jonny Williams, Callum McManaman, Patrick Bamford & Grant Leadbitter).
- Both of Daniel Neil’s two league goals for Sunderland this season have been scored at home, with both goals coming during home defeats against Burnley and Swansea respectively.
- Thomas Smith has been yellow carded in each of Middlesbrough’s last two away games.
Prediction
With an opportunity to re-enter the top ten, Sunderland have to improve upon last weekend’s loss to Swansea in which they were torn apart defensively when reduced to ten men, despite doing well to briefly equalise in a tricky game.
Middlesbrough meanwhile looked absolutely solid in a tightly-fought contest against Millwall with a clinical final touch proving the difference, so I do expect them to come here eager to continue their strong form with a brilliant opportunity to go third and 12 points off the top two.
Sunderland though boasts Boro legend, Tony Mowbray who knows all about this derby – having previously faced the Black Cats when in charge of Boro a decade ago – so I do expect him to motivate his team here although Boro’s better form could give them the edge.
Prediction: Sunderland 1-2 Middlesbrough
Result: Sunderland 2-0 Middlesbrough