Preview: Stoke City vs. Sunderland - prediction, team news, lineups

In a perchance important clash successful the Championship, promotion-chasing Sunderland question to bet365 Stadium connected Sunday wherever they instrumentality connected relegation-threatened Stoke City.

The Potters are sixth last successful 19th spot with 22 points and lost 2-0 against Leeds United connected Boxing Day, whereas Sunderland are 4th successful the array with 44 points and drew 2-2 with Blackburn Rovers connected Thursday.

Match preview

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Stoke are lone 3 points up of 22nd-placed Hull City, who inhabit the last relegation spot, and person played a crippled much than 23rd-placed Cardiff City and 24th-placed Plymouth Argyle, who some person 18 points.

The hosts tin person nary complaints astir their nonaccomplishment against Leeds considering the victors produced 20 shots and 3 large chances portion restricting their opponents to conscionable 3 attempts.

Boss Narcis Pelach has travel nether expanding pressure, and successful the aftermath of his side's decision against Leeds helium admitted his players were outclassed, saying: ""We person to enactment this to furniture quick, the Leeds United one, due to the fact that astatine the extremity of the day, [they are] a squad that is retired of our league, and this is simply a reality. You are going to triumph 1 successful 10 against them."

The Potters' signifier is horrendous, with the nine winless successful their past 9 and having succumbed to decision 5 times successful their past six matches, including connected December 7 erstwhile they mislaid 2-1 against Sunderland successful the Championship.

Pelach's squad person been somewhat amended astatine location considering they person lone mislaid doubly successful their past 9 games astatine bet365 Stadium, but they lone won erstwhile successful that period.

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As for the visitors, they travel into the clash disconnected the backmost of an entertaining gully with fifth-placed Blackburn, a lucifer successful which they created 4 large chances and produced 1.2 xG.

Manager Regis Le Bris felt that his team's showing successful the archetypal fractional was acold beneath what they are susceptible of, telling reporters: "We were astir apt astatine 60-70% of our champion potential. It was wide during half-time it wasn't a tactical contented oregon thing similar that. It was conscionable a question of our level and we were not astatine our champion level."

Le Bris's broadside are presently 5 points from some first-placed Leeds United and second-placed Sheffield United and inhabit 1 of the league's 4 promotion playoff spots.

The Black Cats are successful beardown signifier having won 4 of their six astir caller fixtures, scoring 10 goals and conceding connected 7 occasions successful that time.

Sunderland's distant grounds is mixed considering they person drawn 4 of their past six connected the road, though they person lone been defeated erstwhile successful their past 8 distant games.

Stoke City Championship form:

Sunderland Championship form:

Team News

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Stoke volition not beryllium capable to telephone upon midfielders Ben Pearson and Jordan Thompson, truthful expect to spot a treble pivot consisting of Souleymane Sidibe and Wouter Burger.

Ben Wilmot, Ashley Phillips and Ben Gibson are apt to beryllium stationed successful a backmost 3 considering defender Enda Stevens is not scheduled to instrumentality from wounded until the mediate of January.

Forward Million Manhoef has been ruled out, and this could mean that striker Thomas Cannon volition beryllium flanked by Andrew Moran and Lewis Koumas connected Sunday.

As for Sunderland, attacking midfielder Chris Rigg was forced disconnected against Blackburn and helium could beryllium replaced successful the starting lineup by Adil Aouchiche.

Elsewhere, defenders Daniel Ballard, Jenson Seelt and Niall Huggins are ruled out, arsenic are midfielders Alan Browne and Salis Abdul Samed.

Jobe Bellingham and Dan Neil are astir definite to spouse each different successful midfield successful beforehand of a defence of Trai Hume, Chris Mepham, Luke O'Nien and Dennis Cirkin.

Forwards Tom Watson, Ahmed Abdullahi and Romaine Mundle are unavailable owed to injury, truthful possibly Aouchiche volition beryllium joined successful onslaught by Patrick Roberts, Eliezer Mayenda and Wilson Isidor.

Stoke City imaginable starting lineup:
Johansson; Wilmot, Phillips, Gibson; Tchamadeu, Sidibe, Burger, Gooch; Moran, Cannon, Koumas

We say: Stoke City 1-3 Sunderland

Sunderland's mixed grounds distant from location suggests that they could brushwood difficulties connected Sunday, but it is hard to spot them dropping points against an nether unit Stoke City side.

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