Sunderland vs Blackburn Rovers Prediction: Sunderland got first win under intrim manager

Sunderland will welcome Blackburn at the Stadium of Light in Game Week 40 of the English Championship. Sunderland got their first win under an intrim manager. Who will come out on top after 90 minutes?

After Michael Beale's unsuccessful time as manager of Sunderland came to an early end, Dodds had a rough start to his tenure as well. The team only earned one point from matches against Norwich City, Leicester City, Southampton, and Queens Park Rangers, and scored only two goals in those games. However, Sunderland turned things around with a 2-0 victory over Cardiff on Good Friday, ending a seven-game winless streak in the Championship.

During the match, the Bellingham brother won a penalty for Adil Aouchiche to score in the 12th minute, and then Bellingham returned the favor by scoring off Aouchiche's assist. This win moved Sunderland up to 12th place in the rankings, but it seems unlikely that they will reach the playoff spots with just seven games remaining.

Caretaker coach Dodds is focused on ending Sunderland's recent struggles at home, particularly their goal drought in their last two matches at Stadium of Light. The team has not gone three consecutive Championship games without scoring on their home turf since 1994.

Patterson; Hume, O'Nien, Ballard, Styles; Ekwah, Neil; Rigg, Aouchiche, Ba; Bellingham

Blackburn is set to play at the Stadium of Light on Monday as they aim to end their two-game scoreless streak. Their first match ended in a goalless draw with Middlesbrough on March 16, followed by a loss against Ipswich. Goalkeeper Aynsley Pears made a mistake in the match against Ipswich, allowing a goal from Conor Chaplin. Despite some missed opportunities, Blackburn was not able to turn the game around. The team is currently on a 10-game winless streak and is in danger of relegation, sitting just three points ahead of Huddersfield Town in 22nd place. Their away record has been poor, with no league victories since November. Blackburn's previous encounters with Sunderland have resulted in losses for them.

Pears; Brittain, Hyam, Wharton, Carter; Rankin-Costello, Tronstad; Hedges, Szmodics, Dolan; Gallagher

After missing a month due to a thigh injury, Sunderland winger Patrick Roberts returned to the bench for the win against Cardiff. Unfortunately, Jack Clarke was not available due to an ankle injury and remains uncertain for the upcoming match against Blackburn. Corry Evans is working on regaining his fitness in training following his ACL injury, and Aji Alese is aiming to make his third appearance of the Championship season after being an unused substitute on Good Friday.

However, Dennis Cirkin, Niall Huggins, Nazariy Rusyn, and Jenson Seelt are still recovering from their respective injuries. Dodds has revealed that Seelt might be out for at least six to nine months. Blackburn winger Arnor Sigurdsson will also be out for the rest of the season due to a severe ankle injury suffered during Iceland's Euro 2024 playoff semi-final win over Israel. John Buckley, Harry Leonard, and John Fleck are also dealing with injuries, although Buckley may be available for Monday's match.

Kyle McFadzean and Sam Gallagher were last-minute absences from the game against Ipswich due to a hamstring injury and illness respectively. Both are not expected to have long-term issues. 

It remains to be seen if Sunderland's victory over Cardiff will lead to improved attacking performances in the future. However, they are considered strong favorites to defeat Blackburn, who have struggled with their away form in 2024. While Blackburn showed promise against Ipswich, Sunderland is expected to respond strongly and dent Blackburn's survival hopes even further.