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Sunderland v Middlesbrough
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Kick Off: Saturday 21st September at 12:30
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Competition: Championship
There is always a question mark as to whether to refer to this match as a derby. For Middlesbrough, geographically they are fairly cut off from any other professional team, other than Hartlepool United, and that is a total mismatch, so there is probably more feeling from Boro towards Sunderland than the other way around. After all, Sunderland have that ‘other’ derby that rolls around on a fairly regular basis.
However, there is more to this match than just semi-local banter, both clubs have had strong starts to the Championship season and both will have aspirations to join Newcastle United and the others in the Premier League next season. Both Boro and the Black Cats are odds on at the current prices to finish in the top six, but they will also be eyeing up those automatic promotion places which look very much in reach this season.
Sunderland are looking a confident side, especially going forwards, but losing a topsy-turvy match against Plymouth last time out could threaten to de-rail that positivity. It is up to Regis Le Bris and his staff to ensure that the mood remains confident and upbeat amongst his young players ahead of this tough test.
Middlesbrough enjoyed a great success in this match last season, and they are looking to build on a solid, if not spectacular start. Michael Carrick is well established in this job now and everyone at the club will feel like this season represents a golden opportunity to get back into the Premier League for the first time since 2017.
Sunderland v Middlesbrough Best Bets
➡️ Under 2.5 goals @ 1.90 with Betfair
➡️ Correct Score: 1-1 @ 6.0 with Betfair
➡️ Romaine Mundle to score anytime @ 5.0 with Betfair
The evidence from the season so far suggests that both teams are in a good place. Players seem to understand their roles well and they have been effective in general play, so we can expect two competent teams in battle early Saturday afternoon.
The kick-off time is worth a mention here as well. It is an early season trend that the new early kick-offs in the Championship have been very low scoring. Excluding the opening round of matches, which all kicked off at 12:30, the remaining twelve Saturday 12:30 kick-offs have ALL gone under 2.5 goals.
With the evenness of the teams, and the possibility of low goalscoring, the draw looks to be a big runner here. Correct scores of 0-0 (10.0) and 1-1 (6.0) could be worth dutching at the prices.
Romaine Mundle to score anytime is being underestimated. Whilst we may not expect many, Mundle’s price is way out of line for his position and importance in Sunderland’s attack since the departure of Jack Clarke. Mundle has three goals in three matches, and whilst his 10 shots only total 0.8 xG, suggesting he is on a hot streak, he is still bang in form and the prices of 10.0 for first goalscorer and 5.0 anytime are too big for him.
📂 Sunderland v Middlesbrough Cheat Sheet
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📊 Sunderland Form and Stats
The wheels came off slightly against Plymouth last Saturday as the Black Cats slipped to a first defeat of the season.
The performance in the first half against the Pilgrims was excellent again, but Sunderland allowed the momentum to swing against them and the home crowd really swelled behind Plymouth and inspired them to a great effort in the second half. There is no real cause for concern from the performance from a Sunderland perspective as long as confidence remains high.
The Black Cats are 5th ranked for xG created (xGF) and 3rd ranked for xG against (xGA) and have won the xG battle in all of their matches except against Plymouth, where the penalty against them played a key role.
Three out of five Sunderland Championship matches have gone over 2.5 goals, and the last two have seen BTTS land.
📊 Middlesbrough Form and Stats
Middlesbrough fans will probably be fairly satisfied with their start in the Championship, but there is definite room for improvement as well.
A sloppy defeat to Derby and a failure to convert chances in general have been Middlesbrough’s downfalls so far, but with players continuing to return to the squad, and a generally strong performance level, Boro look set to be a contender for promotion this term.
Boro have won one and lost one on the road in the Championship with a good 2-0 victory at Cardiff making up for the disappointment of losing a smash-and-grab match to Derby 1-0. Boro dominated the xG count at Derby but only edged it against Cardiff.
Overall, Boro are better placed than Sunderland in performance metrics. They sit top of the table for xGF with 9.8 xG in five matches, and second for xGA with only 3.6 xG against.
Only one Boro match has gone over 2.5 goals, with BTTS landing in the two score draws against Portsmouth and Preston.
⚔️ Sunderland v Middlesbrough Head-to-Head
Middlesbrough fans will probably be fairly satisfied with their start in the Championship, but there is definite room for improvement as well.
A sloppy defeat to Derby and a failure to convert chances in general have been Middlesbrough’s downfalls so far, but with players continuing to return to the squad, and a generally strong performance level, Boro look set to be a contender for promotion this term.
Boro have won one and lost one on the road in the Championship with a good 2-0 victory at Cardiff making up for the disappointment of losing a smash-and-grab match to Derby 1-0. Boro dominated the xG count at Derby but only edged it against Cardiff.
Overall, Boro are better placed than Sunderland in performance metrics. They sit top of the table for xGF with 9.8 xG in five matches, and second for xGA with only 3.6 xG against.
Only one Boro match has gone over 2.5 goals, with BTTS landing in the two score draws against Portsmouth and Preston.
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* We recommend waiting for confirmed team line-ups before placing any bets.
* All odds displayed correct at the time of publishing.
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