Sunderland vs Middlesbrough prediction: ENGLAND: Championship betting tips on match 2023-01-21 12:00.
Fans of Sunderland may not see Middlesbrough as their ultimate rivals, but the prickly atmosphere at Tees-Wear derbies is always one befitting of a bonafide rivalry. Having played for and managed Boro, current Sunderland boss Tony Mowbray is a proud Teessider whose son holds a season ticket for Middlesbrough, a piece of trivia which highlights the deep links shared in the hotbed of football which is North East England.
Mowbray’s Black Cats were keeping pace with Middlesbrough until a couple of rounds ago, when one point from the last six available saw them slip five points adrift of Boro and more importantly, out of the top-six. An extensive Sunderland injury list has been exacerbated by a straight red card for mainstay midfielder Luke O’Nien last time out, yet former Boro boss Mowbray insisted “we’ll be ready” for Sunday.
Making the short trip north are Michael Carrick’s Middlesbrough, a side transformed under his stewardship. Having won just four of their opening 16 league games before his introduction, Boro have climbed from the peripheries of the relegation zone up to fourth with a record of W8, D1, L2 since his arrival. Kicking on against Sunderland might be even sweeter for Carrick, who is a born Tynesider and boyhood Newcastle fan!
Sunderland hold the edge across the 149 previous competitive meetings between the sides (W61, D37, L51). However, it’s Boro that could match their longest unbeaten streak in this fixture since an eight-game run between 1953-1960 with a positive result here (W6, D1), although a sold-out reduced away allocation of 2,142 will watch on if they do so given this fixture’s chequered past.
Players to watch: Reported Boro transfer target Ross Stewart has an incredible average of one goal involvement every 79 minutes for Sunderland in the Championship this term (G9, A3). Trying to outdo him will be Middlesbrough's in-form striker Marcus Forss, the Finnish finisher has scored the team's opener in three of his last five appearances.
Hot stat: There have been 27 yellow cards and two straight reds across the last five Tees-Wear derbies (5.8 total cards on average).