Coventry host Sunderland in the first leg of their play-off semi-final in 2024-25 Sky Bet Championship.
Coventry survived a tense final day to qualify for the play-offs in fifth position, whilst Sunderland finished fourth in the league.
Team News
Jay Dasilva is available for Coventry after he was suspended for their 2-0 win over Middlesbrough.
Norman Bassette (quad) is a doubt for selection.
Oliver Dovin (ACL), Ephron Mason-Clark (foot) and Victor Torp (ankle) are still sidelined.
Sunderland have no fresh injury concerns to report following their 1-0 home defeat to QPR.
Jayden Danns (back), Romaine Mundle (hamstring), Ahmed Abdullahi (groin), Ian Poveda (unspecified), Aji Alese and Niall Huggins (both knee) remain sidelined.
When is Kick-Off?
Coventry host Sunderland at CBS Arena on Friday 9 May at 8pm BST, live on Sky Sports in the UK.
Stat Attack
- This is Coventry’s first EFL play-off meeting against Sunderland.
- Sunderland are making their first EFL Play-Off visit to Coventry, but are winless in their last 12 visits (D5, L7)
- Coventry have kept clean sheets in three of their last four meetings at home against Sunderland.
- Three of Coventry’s last four goals at home have been scored by Jack Rudoni.
- Sunderland have kept just one clean sheet in their last six matches (D1, L5).
Prediction
Although their recent form hasn’t exactly been strong, Coventry will be pleased to come into this first leg off the back of a clinical home win over Middlesbrough where they dominated much of the game, yet they were lucky at times that Boro failed to convert their own chances but the victory will give them belief here.
Sunderland meanwhile have definitely been at the beaches lately with five straight defeats so it will be interesting to see how they bounce from their psychological holiday back into serious competitive must-win action, although they mounted a more feisty display against QPR aside from a clinical end product.
Add in their poor away form against Coventry which included a 3-0 defeat in March and you have to wonder if Sunderland ideally need to get at least a draw then finish the job at home, but I do think that Coventry will have just too much such is their momentum in terms of quality and mentality.
Prediction: Coventry 2-1 Sunderland
Result: Coventry 1-2 Sunderland