In an exciting Friday night showdown, Sunderland and Hull City will face off with the aim of regaining their positions in the Championship playoff spots.
Currently separated by just one point, these two teams will battle it out at the Stadium of Light.
Match Preview:
Under the leadership of Michael Beale, Sunderland has experienced a mixed bag of results. With victories against Hull, Rotherham United, and Preston North End, the Black Cats have remained in contention for a top-six finish.
However, home defeats to Coventry City and Newcastle United exposed their vulnerabilities, and last weekend, they lost 2-1 to Ipswich Town after conceding a lead.
Despite sitting in seventh place, there is now a five-point gap between Sunderland and fifth-placed West Bromwich Albion.
On the other hand, Hull City, managed by Liam Rosenior, have hit a rough patch recently.
After a strong start in the playoffs, the Tigers have suffered four defeats in their last five matches, slipping down to ninth place in the standings.
Additionally, they have faced seven losses in their last 11 fixtures across all competitions. Their most recent disappointment came in the FA Cup third round replay against Birmingham City, where they conceded a late 2-1 defeat after initially leading the game.
Team News:
Sunderland manager Michael Beale is likely to make tactical adjustments after experimenting with a 4-4-2 formation in the previous match.
Nazarii Rusyn may return to the attack, replacing Abdoullah Ba as the only anticipated change.
However, Patrick Roberts and Bradley Dack are still recovering from injuries and won’t be available for at least two more weeks.
Hull City boss Liam Rosenior is expected to revert back to a similar lineup used in their recent league game against Norwich.
Two alterations are likely, with Jason Lokilo featuring on the left flank and Billy Sharp leading the attack, as Liam Delap is sidelined until spring due to a knee injury.
Possible Lineups:
Sunderland: (4-2-3-1)
Patterson;
Hume, O’Nien, Ballard, Alese;
Ekwah, Neil;
Pritchard, Bellingham, Clarke,
Rusyn
Hull City: (4-2-3-1)
Allsop;
Coyle, Jones, Greaves, Jacob;
Morton, Slater;
Tufan, Carvalho, Lokilo;
Sharp
Prediction: Sunderland 1-1 Hull City
In their previous encounter, Sunderland emerged victorious, which will undoubtedly motivate Hull City to seek revenge.
However, we predict a hard-fought 1-1 draw, as the Tigers aim to bounce back from their recent setbacks. Both teams will consider a point as a valuable result in their quest for playoff qualification.