Sunderland will travel to the Riverside tomorrow lunchtime to play Middlesbrough in the Tees-Wear derby.
After Sunderland’s 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Boro at the Stadium of Light in October, the two teams resume hostilities.
The Black Cats’ performance has been all over the place since then, but they are still very much in the running for the playoffs and can pass Coventry by beating their North East rivals to take sixth position.
Obviously, given their previous track record—six losses in nine matches across all competitions—Sunderland will have to overcome Michael Carrick’s team to win.
Michael Beale is under a lot of pressure to perform even if he added three players during the transfer window: Callum Styles, Leo Hjelde, and Romaine Mundle. This is because Beale had a far from uncertain start in the dugout.
Though it might not win them back, a victory over Boro would greatly improve his relationship with Sunderland fans and increase their chances of making the playoffs.
Patrick Roberts may be eligible for selection by Beale following a period of inactivity, while Mundle and Hjelde, recent additions, will be included in the matchday squad.
This is the lineup we think Sunderland will play against Middlesbrough.
Predicted starting lineup for Sunderland vs. Middlesbrough: Leo Hjelde
Anthony Patterson has stayed with the team and maintained his starting position in goal despite interest from Premier League teams in January.
Trai Hume, Beale’s tackling machine, started at left back against Stoke but will probably move back to his preferred position at right-back against Boro to give the Black Cats more stability.
In terms of center defense, Dan Ballard and Luke O’Nien’s alliance is unshakable. With seven clean sheets in 28 games, the duo has proved crucial to their play-off chances.
Those three remain the same as the team that defeated Stoke, and since Dennis Cirkin, Aji Alese, and Niall Huggins are all out with injuries, new signing Hjelde might start at left back right away.
The midfield of Sunderland outperformed the Potters. Pierre Ekwah was freed from the constraints of his defensive midfield role by Dan Neil’s anchoring play in the front of the defense, and he flourished in an advanced role. Against Boro, the Frenchman ought to again play as Jobe Bellingham’s forward partner.
Beale can’t bench Abdoullah Ba after he scored and provided two assists against Stoke, even though Roberts is a strong candidate to return to the right side.
On the left, Jack Clarke doesn’t need an introduction. He stayed at the Stadium of Light and will be trying to add to his 13 strikes this campaign, despite Lazio’s late interest.
Mason Burstow, who scored his first goal for Sunderland last weekend, will be fired up and eager to strike against the rival Black Cats.
