Sunderland v Middlesbrough

Sunderland vs Middlesbrough Preview

Sunderland and Middlesbrough will do battle in the north-east derby at the Stadium of Light on Saturday lunchtime with both teams keen to not only take the derby day spoils but also grab an important three points as Sunderland look to bounce back from a disappointing 3-2 defeat away from home at Plymouth Argyle, while Middlesbrough picked up a point in last weekend's 1-1 draw at home with Preston NE.

Sunderland had previously racked up four wins on the trot at the start of this Championship season as The Black Cats had come out of the blocks in explosive fashion, collecting wins against Cardiff City, Sheffield Wednesday, Burnley and Portsmouth respectively.

However, the furthest trip in the top five divisions of the English domestic stage last Saturday with a trip to Plymouth ended in defeat for Regis Le Bris' side so they will be keen to return to winning ways when they hold home advantage this weekend.

This may be easier said than done though for the Black Cats as the hosts have registered just two wins in their previous nine games at the Stadium of Light while also being handed no fewer than five losses in the process, so this may be another tough assignment for the hosts.

Middlesbrough bring a three-game unbeaten sequence into Saturday lunchtime's north-east derby as Boro have picked up points in draws with Portsmouth and Preston NE along with a useful looking 2-0 win on the road at Cardiff City, so the visitors will fancy their chances of turning over their rivals especially as Sunderland have struggled on home soil in recent times.

The bigger picture should also give Middlesbrough a welcome boost ahead of this upcoming trip to the Stadium of Light as the visitors have slipped to just two defeats in their previous 17 matches overall, losing to the likes of Leeds United and Derby County.

On the flip-side, Boro have also picked up nine wins within this period as well which stands the visitors in good stead for a possible result here on Saturday as well as the fact that Middlesbrough have suffered just the one defeat in their last eight outings on the road.

Having picked up four wins on their travels in recent times with victories gained at QPR, Birmingham City and Cardiff City twice, Middlesbrough stand a decent chance of getting something from this upcoming encounter.

Sunderland v Middlesbrough Verdict

Middlesbrough have certainly held the upper hand over Sunderland in previous exchanges as Boro have lost just once in their last 10 meetings against the Black Cats and having racked up some seven wins within this period as well, the visitors might just sneak a narrow win over their hosts in this one.

Therefore, our main bet will be Middlesbrough win @ 2.80

Other side bets worth considering:

Middlesbrough win & Under 2.5 goals @ 6.00

Correct Score: Middlesbrough 1-0 @ 9.50