Championship | Gameweek 12

Oct 26, 2024 at 3pm UK

Stadium of Light

Sunderland vs Oxford Utd

Match preview

Some Sunderland fans might be feeling a bit pessimistic about whether their team can keep up their excellent form in the Championship.

Even so, eight wins from 11 games shows they're enjoying being the underdogs. Plus, the Black Cats have scored the most goals in the division.

Since the October international break, Sunderland have only scored three goals in away games against Hull City and Luton Town, but they were enough to earn Regis Le Bris' side two more victories on their travels.

Sunderland now have a three-point lead over second-placed Burnley and a massive eight-point advantage over seventh-placed Norwich City as they look to secure a strong position in the race for the playoffs.

The North-East outfit are heading into this game having only conceded twice in five games at the Stadium of Light, with both of those goals coming in the 2-2 draw with Leeds United.

From Oxford's perspective, Des Buckingham knows that avoiding defeat in the long run is probably the best way to make sure the team stays in the second tier.

That said, he probably didn't factor in five straight draws since September 28, or that the team could stay in the top half of the standings.

Oxford's best performance has been at the Kassam Stadium, where they haven't lost any of their six games. However, they've at least drawn their two most recent away games at Luton Town and Portsmouth.

Since they came back from the international break, they've drawn at home against West Bromwich Albion and Derby County.

Recent Perfomance

Sunderland Championship form:WLWDWW

Oxford United Championship form:LDDDDD

Injuries and suspensions

Sunderland

23 Jenson Seelt

2 Niall Huggins

Oxford United

7 Przemyslaw Placheta

Possible starting lineups

Sunderland possible starting lineup:

Patterson; Hume, Mepham, O'Nien, Cirkin; Browne, Neil, Bellingham; Rigg, Isidor, Mundle

Oxford United possible starting lineup:

Cumming; Kioso, Moore, Nelson, Brown; Vaulks; Goodrham, Rodrigues, Mizouni, Dembele; Scarlett