Championship | Gameweek 34

Feb 22, 2025 at 12.30pm UK

Stadium of Light

Sunderland vs Hull City

Match preview

Sunderland head into the weekend looking to get back to winning ways and boost their slim hopes of automatic promotion from the Championship this season.

The Black Cats have been in fourth place since the end of November, and back-to-back wins at the start of January put them in a strong position with 50 points from 26 games.

However, Regis Le Bris' side have since failed to make up any ground, although they did go on an eight-match unbeaten run after those victories, with wins over Derby County, Middlesbrough and Luton Town, as well as draws against Burnley, Plymouth Argyle and Watford.

A tough trip to leaders Leeds United followed on Monday, with the Wearside outfit leading 1-0 until the final 15 minutes through Wilson Isidor, only to come away empty-handed when Pascal Struijk equalised and then headed home the winner in the 95th minute.

Now 10 points adrift of Leeds, eight adrift of second-placed Sheffield United and three adrift of third-placed Burnley with 13 games remaining, Sunderland know that any hopes of challenging the top two depend on a winning run that begins at the Stadium of Light on Saturday as they look to maintain their unbeaten home record this season.

The visitors will also be looking for three vital points in their own battle at the foot of the table on Wearside.

Hull City go into the weekend in a precarious position in their battle for Championship survival, having failed to move out of the relegation zone in recent weeks, although they did climb out of the bottom three last weekend.

Ruben Selles' side gave their survival hopes a huge boost in January with away victories over Millwall and second-placed Sheffield United, either side of a home defeat to Queens Park Rangers, to take 29 points from 29 league games, with 14 of those points coming from Selles' first 10 league games in charge.

Since then, however, the Tigers have failed to build on that improvement, picking up just one point in their last three outings, following back-to-back defeats at Stoke City and Burnley, before finally sharing the spoils with Norwich City on Saturday when Matt Crooks' opener was cancelled out by a Joshua Sargent strike.

While that result lifted Hull City above Derby County and out of the bottom three, they are just one point clear of the Rams and Plymouth Argyle, and two clear of bottom side Luton Town, and will be desperate to extend that cushion this weekend in a tough away trip.

Recent Performance

Sunderland Championship form:WDWDWL

Hull City Championship form:WLWLLD

Team News

Regis Le Bris is likely to name an unchanged Sunderland starting XI for Monday's trip to Leeds United, with Aji Alese, Tom Watson, Jayden Danns and Niall Huggins all rested.

Wilson Isidor will continue to lead the line, with his tally of 12 Championship goals so far this season second only to two players in the division, while Patrick Roberts, Chris Rigg and Roma loanee Enzo Le Fee are expected to provide support.

Elsewhere, key men Jobe Bellingham and Dan Neil will partner in the engine room of their 4-2-3-1 formation, while Luke O'Nien and Dan Ballard will hope to continue their defensive partnership with Chris Mepham having spent the last two games on the bench.

Hull City will be without wingers Mohamed Belloumi and Liam Millar due to injury, while Kasey Palmer and Charlie Hughes are close to a return but are not considered fit for the trip to the Stadium of Light.

Abu Kamara, Mason Burstow and Kyle Joseph will all be in contention to start in attack after January signings Joe Gelhardt, Matt Crooks and Louie Barry backed up Joao Pedro last weekend, with Crooks scoring the second goal of his loan spell in the draw with Norwich.

Gustavo Puerta will also be hoping for a return to action, but may have to settle for another substitute's appearance, with Steven Alzate and Regan Slater preferred in midfield, while John Egan is set for a third straight start at the back following his move from Burnley in the January transfer window.

Possible starting lineup

Sunderland possible starting lineup:

Patterson; Hume, Ballard, O'Nien, Cirkin; Bellingham, Neil; Roberts, Rigg, Le Fee; Isidor

Hull City possible starting lineup:

Pandur; Coyle, Egan, Jones, McLoughlin; Slater, Alzate; Kamara, Crooks, Barry; Joseph