The hosts are heading into the match on the back of a 3-1 defeat to Swansea City last Saturday, while Middlesbrough got the better of Millwall 1-0 on the same day.
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Sunderland will host Middlesbrough in an EFL Championship fixture at the Stadium of light on Sunday afternoon. The hosts are heading into the match on the back of a 3-1 defeat to Swansea City last Saturday, while Middlesbrough got the better of Millwall 1-0 on the same day. The victory helped Boro to move to fourth spot in the English second tier standings, having collected 42 points from 27 games, 15 adrift of second-placed Sheffield United, who have played a game more. Sunderland, meanwhile, are sitting at the 10th position, with 38 points to their name, four behind the playoff spot.
🕰 24 hours to go… #SAFC | #SUNMID
— Sunderland AFC (@SunderlandAFC) January 21, 2023
Sunderland played the majority of their last outing against the Swans with a man-less after Luke O’Nien was sent off inside the opening 18 minutes. Although Dan Neil canceled out Joel Piroe’s opener, strikes from Liam Cullen and Oli Cooper helped Swansea take all three points and ended the Black Cats’ four-game unbeaten run. Tony Mowbray’s side have now won just four of their 13 home fixtures this season, leaving them with the sixth-worst home record in the second tier.
As for Middlesbrough, they are on the path of resurgence after the appointment of Michael Carrick as the head coach of the team. The English tactician’s side have won five of their last six Championship games, and their only defeat in that period came against leaders Burnley. Last time out, Boro edged past Millwall courtesy of Marcus Forss’ lone goal nine minutes into the second half. It was their 12th league-win of the campaign. Meanwhile, Middlesbrough have kept just one clean sheet in their last eight competitive games, which could be a cause of concern for the 41 year-old manager.
Sunderland midfielder O’Nien will be suspended for Sunday’s game, while Danny Batth might come into the playing eleven, joining Ballard at the heart of the defence. Stewart could lead the line, with Roberts, Diallo and Clarke in support. As for Middlesbrough, Carrick is unlikely to make too many changes to the side that started against Millwall last Saturday. Darragh Lenihan is sidelined with an injury, therefore, Paddy McNair will partner Dael Fry in the middle of the back-four. Crooks will continue to spearhead the attack, with Akpom operating behind him in a free role.
Sunderland Probable line-up: Patterson, Hume, Ballard, Batth, Gooch, Evans, Neil, Roberts, Diallo, Clarke, Stewart
Middlesbrough probable line-up: Steffen, Smith, Fry, MacNair, Giles, Howson, Hackney, Forss, Akpom, McGree, Crooks
Sunderland
| Opponents | Score |
| Swansea | 1-3 (L) |
| Shrewsbury | 1-2 (L) |
| Blackpool | 1-1 (D) |
| Wigan | 1-4 (W) |
| Blackburn | 2-1 (W) |
Middlesbrough
| Opponents | Score |
| Millwall | 1-0 (W) |
| Brighton | 1-5 (L) |
| Birmingham | 1-3 (W) |
| Blackburn | 1-2 (W) |
| Wigan | 4-1 (W) |
| Last 5 match-results | Score |
| Middlesbrough beat Sunderland | 1-0 |
| Middlesbrough draw Sunderland | 0-0 |
| Sunderland draw Middlesbrough | 3-3 |
| Middlesbrough beat Sunderland | 2-0 |
| Middlesbrough beat Sunderland | 1-0 |
The EFL Championship match between Sunderland and Middlesbrough will take place at Stadium of Light on Sunday at 5:30 pm IST.
| Sunderland vs Middlesbrough | Key Details |
| Date | January 22 |
| Venue | Stadium of Light |
| Kickoff time in UK | 12:00 pm |
| Kickoff time in India | 5:30 pm |
The live telecast of the EFL Championship match between Sunderland and Middlesbrough can be seen on Sky Go Extra, Sky Sports Football, Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Ultra HD and TalkSport 2 Radio UK.
