Kenley Ward
Dailysports's expert
On Saturday, May 24, in the Championship playoff final, Sheffield United will face Sunderland at Wembley. The match kicks off at 16:00 Central European Time. I’m offering a bet on the number of goals scored in the first half of this clash.
Interesting facts and head-to-head history
- Sheffield United played in the Premier League as recently as last season.
- Sunderland have not competed in the Premier League since 2017.
- Sunderland have won only 1 of their last 8 matches in all competitions.
- Neither Sheffield United nor Sunderland have ever won a Championship playoff final.
- This season, the two sides exchanged home victories. Sheffield United triumphed 1-0 at home, while Sunderland edged it 2-1 on their own turf.
Match preview
Throughout the season, Sheffield United were among the teams battling for automatic promotion. However, a string of poor results at the end of the campaign saw Chris Wilder’s side slip into the playoffs, while Leeds and Burnley went up automatically. The Blades finished 10 points behind the top two.
Still, Sheffield United breezed through their playoff semi-final. They faced Bristol City, who had finished sixth in the regular season. The Blades secured a comfortable advantage away from home, winning 3-0. Back at Bramall Lane, they repeated the scoreline with another 3-0 victory.
This will be Sheffield United’s fourth appearance in a Championship playoff final, having lost all three previous attempts. The club is determined to break this unlucky streak.
Sunderland were seen as promotion contenders even before the season began, and for a long stretch, they lived up to that billing. However, in the second half of the campaign, it became clear Régis Le Bris’s team would not finish in the top two, meaning their Premier League hopes would hinge on the playoffs. Sunderland ended up fourth with 76 points.
In the previous playoff round, Sunderland narrowly edged past Coventry. The Black Cats won 2-1 away but lost 1-0 at home. In extra time, it looked set for penalties, but in the dying seconds, center-back Ballard scored from a corner delivery.
Sunderland have previously played in two Championship playoff finals, losing on both occasions.
Probable lineups
- Sheffield United: Cooper; Choudhury, Ahmedhodzic, Robinson, Burrows; Peck, Vinicius Souza, Hamer, Brooks, Cannon; Moore
- Sunderland: Patterson; Hume, Ballard, O'Nien, Cirkin; Neil, Bellingham, Roberts, Enzo Le Fée; Mayenda, Isidor
Sheffield United vs Sunderland match prediction
The stakes are sky-high in this one, so I expect both teams to play with extreme caution. My bet is that we won’t see any goals in the first half.
