Cardiff 0 Sunderland 2: Highlights as Adil Aouchiche penalty and Jobe Bellingham goal end Cats' winless run

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of Sunderland's Championship match against Cardiff at the Cardiff City Stadium.

The Black Cats haven't won for seven matches and will be hoping to put things right this afternoon (3pm kick-off).

We'll have all the build-up ahead of the match, as well as in-game analysis and post-match reaction. Stick around and refresh the page to keep up to speed.

We'll start with the Sunderland team news.

Top scorer Jack Clarke (below) remains sidelined with an ankle injury but is expected to return before the end of the season. Forward Nazariy Rusyn is also unavailable with a calf issue, after missing the goalless draw against QPR last time out.

Patrick Roberts has returned to training after suffering a hamstring injury, yet Sunderland are being cautious with the winger.

Luke O'Nien is available again after serving his two-match suspension for picking up 10 yellow cards, while Aji Alese, Corry Evans and Bradley Dack have all played for the under-21s side over the international break.

Jenson Seelt (knee), Niall Huggins (knee), Dennis Cirkin (hamstring) remain sidelined.

Here's what Sunderland's interim boss Mike Dodds had to say about today's opponents:

"They are really organised, probably similar to QPR. They put bodies behind the ball and they are a serious threat from set-pieces.

"We must be better with the ball. We have spoken about this a lot.

"They are in-form at the moment, even if you put aside their derby game against Swansea City. We will we need to be focused and prepared, which we will be."

Cardiff had won four successive league games against Stoke, Bristol City, Huddersfield and Ipswich, before losing 2-0 to Swansea in the South Wales derby last time out.

The Bluebirds are five points ahead of Sunderland and are 11th in the table, eight points off a play-off place.

And here's what Cardiff boss Erol Bulut had to say about Sunderland.

“Sunderland are a high-quality, young team who work well. We have to be fully concentrated tomorrow, and to think only about the three points.

“Now everybody is pushing to be in with their performance, and we have only eight games to play, so everybody knows where we want to be and what we want to push.

"Everybody knows that we take everything game by game, and this will continue. I think that the next three to four games will decide where we will be."

Here are our predicted line-ups for today's match:

Predicted Cardiff XI: Horvath, Ng, Phillips, Goutas, Wilson-Esbrand, Wintle, Siopis, Bowler, Turnbull, Grant, Meite

Predicted Sunderland XI: Patterson, Hume, Ballard, O'Nien, Hjelde, Neil, Ekwah, Ba, Aouchiche, Mundle, Bellingham

So it’s three changes for Sunderland following their goalless draw against QPR last time out.

Luke O’Nien is back from suspension, while Pierre Ekwah and Chris Rigg recalled to the starting XI. Leo Hjelde, Romaine Mundle and Hemir drop to the bench. It looks like Jobe Bellingham will start up front for the visitors. Aji Alese and Patrick Roberts are back on the bench following injury setbacks.

Cardiff have also made three changes following their 2-0 defeat against Swansea before the international break. Joe Ralls, Callum O'Dowda and Rubin Colwill return to the starting XI for the hosts.

Ready to go...

Game under way!

Cardiff have started the brighter after Colwil's cross from the right was headed away by O'Nien.

The hosts kept the pressure on as Bowler won a free-kick, before Ralls' delivery was headed away by Ballard.

Sunderland have started with Rigg on the right and Ba on the left, with Aouchiche playing just behind Bellingham up top.

Cardiff have seen more of the ball so far, yet hadn't really created much before that chance.

Aouchiche then gave the ball away to Bowler in the Sunderland half before the latter cut in from the right and sent a low shot wide.

Cardiff gave the ball away before Bellingham was brought down by Goutas in the Cardiff box.

There didn't look like there was a lot in it, but the referee points to the spot.