Coventry City vs Sunderland predictions: Goals to flow in crunch clash
&w=707&quality=100)
- Coventry sixth place in the Championship after 2-0 loss to Derby
- Sunderland fourth following a 1-1 home draw with Preston on Tuesday
- Recommended Bet: Over 2.5 goals
Coventry’s recent run of wins came to an unexpected end in midweek, when they were beaten 2-0 away at relegation-threatened Derby County and now they look to recover against strong opposition.
Sunderland needed a late equaliser from Romaine Mundle to snatch a point at home against Preston, but the fourth-placed side remain relatively safe when it comes to play-off qualification, with a massive 13 points separating them from both West Brom in fifth and the sixth-placed Sky Blues.
A further two points separate the Wearsiders from Bristol City in seventh, so a play-off campaign is already all but certain.
Team news
Sky Blues manager Frank Lampard has suggested that both Ben Sheaf and Brandon Thomas-Asante could return to action on Saturday, having missed the defeat to the Rams due to injury.
Black Cats winger Mundle came off the bench to equalise against North End and could earn a start at the weekend.
Daniel Ballard, Aji Alese, Niall Huggins, Salis Abdul Samed, Enzo Le Fee, Jayden Danns and Ian Poveda were all absent with injuries for the Wearsiders and all are unlikely to feature on Saturday.
The stats
Prior to the defeat on Tuesday night, Coventry had enjoyed five straight victories to roar into the Championship play-off picture.
Sunderland’s draw with Preston means that they are unbeaten in three games, winning their previous two matches against Sheffield Wednesday and Cardiff.
Despite losing to his former club Derby, Lampard’s record at Coventry remains strong since being appointed in November, winning 12 of 22 games, with six draws and just four losses.
The Black Cats have conceded in eight of their last nine matches.
Prediction
Having appointed Lampard in an effort to primarily move away from the relegation zone, it is somewhat miraculous that the Sky Blues now find themselves competing for a play-off finish.
The defeat to Derby is a reminder that City do not have the luxury of taking their foot off the gas, with a number of clubs below them in close attendance and ready to take their place should their form slip.
Sunderland’s 13-point cushion over fifth-placed West Brom means that they can be more relaxed over the likelihood of their involvement in the play-offs, though naturally they will want to force their way into an automatic promotion spot if that is possible.
They missed the chance to close the gap when teams above them also dropped points in midweek and now they will look to bounce back against Coventry.
The hosts have conceded two goals in each of their last three games and, with both teams having plenty of firepower, we should be treated to an entertaining encounter.
Win up to £250,000 with LiveScore 6!
Win up to £250,000 with our free-to-play game, LiveScore 6!
