Sunderland vs Sheffield Wed prediction: ENGLAND: Championship betting tips on match 2024-05-03 11:30.
[p]Sunderland are finishing the Championship season with a real whimper. The Black Cats have scored only one goal across their last five fixtures (W1, D2, L2), while back-to-back 1-0 defeats to Millwall and Watford have ended their slim hopes of a top-half finish. As such, it has been a campaign to forget for the Wearsiders, a far cry from 12 months ago when they reached the play-offs in dramatic fashion on the final day.[/p]
[p]Supporters will therefore be hoping to head into the summer on a high, in what is expected to be interim boss Mike Dodds’ final game in charge. Former Sunderland and England striker Jermain Defoe is reportedly one of the candidates to take on the manager’s job permanently, and the players will surely be keen to put on a show at the Stadium of Light, where Sunderland’s run of six home games without success is their joint-longest winless run in six years (D2, L4).[/p]
[p]Visitors Sheffield Wednesday only need a point from this game to complete a remarkable escape from relegation. The Owls, who endured a torrid first half of the season, have finally dragged themselves clear of danger thanks to a five-game unbeaten run (W3, D2), with their 3-0 hammering of play-off hopefuls West Brom moving them three points clear of the dotted line.[/p]
[p]Danny Röhl’s men are on their longest unbeaten run in the second-tier since December 2019, with the manager delighted with his players, who are “on fire” in his estimation. However, supporters with a long memory might not travel to the North East with too much confidence, as their side have won away at Sunderland just twice since 1969 (D3, L9)![/p]
[p]Players to watch: Sunderland midfielder Pierre Ekwah has won each of the four games in which he has scored this season, including their most recent victory – a 1-0 success against West Brom. IkĂ© Ugbo has been a revelation since joining Sheffield Wednesday in January, with six of his seven strikes proving to be the first or last of the game.[/p]
[p]Hot stat: A league-low 17 of Sheffield Wednesday’s 45 Championship games have seen both teams score. [/p]