2023-24 Sky Bet Championship: Week Eight – Sunday

Promotion chasing Sunderland host Cardiff City at Stadium of Light in a Championship clash.

Victory would see Sunderland stay fourth and move to within five points of the automatic promotion spots, whilst Cardiff can go sixth with a win.

 

Team News

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Sunderland have no fresh injury concerns to report after their 3-1 win at Blackburn Rovers in midweek.

Bradley Dack (hamstring), Dennis Cirkin (muscle), Pierre Ekwah (leg), Jay Matete (knee), Aji Alese (thigh), and Corry Evans (ACL) remain absent.

Cardiff have no fresh injury concerns to report after their midweek win over Coventry, as Aaron Ramsey prepares to start after he was rested in midweek.

Callum O’Dowda (leg) and Josh Bowler (calf) remain absent.

 

When is Kick-Off?

Sunderland host Cardiff at 3pm BST on Sunday 24 September at Stadium of Light, untelevised live in the UK.

 

Stat Attack

• Sunderland have won just two of their last five league meetings against Cardiff (W2, L3).
• Cardiff have won three of their last five league visits to Sunderland (W3, L2).
• Three of the last five meetings on Wearside have ended in a 2-1 result, with Cardiff winning two of those three specific matches to Sunderland’s one victory.
• Tony Mowbray’s Black Cats have won two of their three league matches at home this season (W2, L1).
• Cardiff have claimed just one point from their three league games away from home (D1, L2).

 

Prediction

After a sluggish start to their eventual 3-1 win at Blackburn, Sunderland’s team unity and quality ultimately pulled them through a tricky contest where they were second-best at times but clinical finishing proved key to their result.

Cardiff meanwhile are in decent form themselves with three wins in their last four games but their defence is particularly leaky – with just one clean sheet, which is something that the Black Cats will seek to exploit so it is imperative that the Bluebirds are solid defensively such is their attacking ability.

The Bluebirds’ recent record on Wearside is another morale boost but they are facing one of the league’s youngest but creative attacking teams, so this game could well see goals but Cardiff must keep Jack Clarke quiet and tighten up at the back if want at least one point.

Prediction: Sunderland 2-1 Cardiff

Result: Sunderland 0-1 Cardiff