'Right that wrong' - What EFL pundits are saying ahead of 'cagey' Sunderland vs Middlesbrough clash
Sunderland host Middlesbrough at the Stadium of Light on Saturday.
EFL pundits David Prutton and Sam Parkin are both backing Sunderland to draw their Saturday lunchtime clash with Middlesbrough this weekend.
The Black Cats saw their unbeaten start to the new league season come to an end last time out when they slipped to a 3-2 defeat at the hands of Plymouth Argyle, and find themselves second in the table after five matches as a consequence. For their part, Boro are tenth in the second tier having won two, drawn two, and lost one across their opening quintet of fixtures. Michael Carrick’s men were held to a 1-1 draw by Preston North End in their most recent Championship outing.
But despite the slight disparity in fortunes so far this term, Prutton is of the belief that the two North East rivals will have to settle for a sharing of the spoils at the Stadium of Light. Speaking on the Essential EFL podcast, the pundit addressed Sunderland’s late disappointment against Plymouth as well as casting his eye ahead to this Saturday. He said: “It [Plymouth Argyle vs Sunderland] was a cracking game, wasn’t it? Bless the Sunderland fans - and I don’t mean that with any condescension - but it’s a long, long way to go for a 93rd minute winner from the home side, isn’t it? They’ll be hoping to right that wrong come Saturday.
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“With Boro, still very much feeling like a work in progress. I still feel there’s the make-up of a team there that could emulate what happened the year before last, which was getting to the play-offs. Time will tell, though. This will be a really good game, two really good footballing teams, and hopefully - it’s always the case - it’ll be an absolutely packed out Stadium of Light for this one. I’ll go 2-2. Pretty standard.”
For his part, former Chelsea striker Parkin told the Championship Check-In podcast: “I think I’ll take a draw actually. Boro have only been beaten once haven’t they, and Sunderland tasted defeat for the first time. I quite like the draw. I think it might be quite cagey… bit of a rivalry.”
Sunderland’s recent record against Middlesbrough is relatively patchy, with just one win in their last 10 contests against the Teessiders, stretching back to 2012. That solitary success came in January of last year, with Ross Stewart and Amad Diallo scoring the goals in a 2-0 victory.