Cardiff City vs Sunderland Prediction: An entertaining game is on cards with both sides being in desperate need of win

Cardiff City is set to host Sunderland on Monday at Cardiff City Stadium. Cardiff are playing to stay alive in the competition and Sunderland will be hoping for a place in the top six. Who will come out on top after 90 minutes? 

Last season, Cardiff finished in 18th place in the Championship, and this season they have performed similarly, occupying 19th position with just 42 points from 39 games. Although they are only one point above Reading, they have an extra match in hand. Cardiff is coming off a confidence-boosting win against Blackpool, where they won 3-1, with goals from Connor Wickham, Sory Kaba, and Joe Ralls. They are looking to win back-to-back Championship matches for the first time since February. Cardiff's home form has been problematic this season, as they have only picked up 24 points in 20 games, and they are hosting a Sunderland side with the sixth-best away record in the division. Cardiff has won their last three games against Sunderland, including a 1-0 victory in the reverse fixture at the Stadium of Light this season.

Allsop; Ng, Kipre, McGuinness; Romeo, Sawyers, Wintle, Ralls; Wickham, Philogene, Kaba

Sunderland are pushing for a playoff spot in the later stages of the season. Tony Mowbray's side is currently placed 11th in the table, with six points behind sixth-placed Blackburn Rovers, and they still have plenty of points left to play for to achieve their goal. Sunderland, who are looking to secure back-to-back promotions following their ascent from League One last season, have not played in the Premier League since 2017. The team was involved in an exciting match against Hull City on Friday at the Stadium of Light, which resulted in a 4-4 draw. Jack Clarke scored the potential winning goal for the Black Cats in the 81st minute, but Hull scored a penalty in the 98th minute to equalize, sharing the points in the thrilling match.

Patterson; Hume, O'Nien, Batth, Gooch; Neil, Michut; Roberts, Diallo, Clarke; Gelhardt

With both teams aiming for a win, this game promises to be exciting. While Sunderland may have the upper hand, Cardiff's impressive performance in their last game suggests they can compete. Despite inconsistent results on their travels, the Black Cats have the ability to win on Monday or the game to end in a draw. Expect more than 2.5 goals in the game.