Sunderland vs Middlesbrough Prediction: Sunderland will be looking to boost their hopes of the top-six finish in the league in the match against Middlesbrough

Sunderland will welcome Middlesbrough at the Stadium of Light in Game Week 11 of the English Championship. Sunderland will be looking to boost their hopes of the top-six finish in the league in the match against Middlesbrough. Who will come out on top after 90 minutes?

Following two consecutive defeats to start the season, Sunderland has been nearly flawless in the Championship, winning six out of their next eight matches. Although the recent 1-0 home loss to Cardiff City was disappointing, they quickly bounced back with a dominant 3-0 victory over Sheffield Wednesday and a 2-0 triumph against Watford at the Stadium of Light. These wins have propelled Sunderland to possess the third-best attacking record in the league. Additionally, their defence has been outstanding, as they have only conceded four goals in their last eight matches and have not let in more than two goals in a single game this season. Alex Pritchard has recently joined the injury list at Sunderland, and he will not be returning until after the international break. Barring any new issues from their win over Watford, it is likely that Mowbray will stick with the same starting XI, with Mason Burstow leading the attack. This means that Adil Aouchiche will have to be patient for his first Championship start, while Pierre Ekwah, Bradley Dack, and Dennis Cirkin will remain sidelined. 

Patterson; Huggins, Ballard, O'Nien, Hume; Ba, Roberts, Neil, Bellingham, Clarke; Burstow

Despite their recent success, Sunderland now faces a formidable opponent in Middlesbrough, a team that has been in top form as of late. Middlesbrough, led by Michael Carrick, struggled in their first seven games of the season but have since secured three consecutive wins against Southampton, Watford, and Cardiff City, scoring a total of seven goals in the process. Although Middlesbrough is only three points above the relegation zone, concerns about being involved in a relegation battle have subsided. In their most recent match against Cardiff, Middlesbrough kept a clean sheet, their first in the Championship this season, as they won 2-0.

Despite their victory against Cardiff in the midweek, Carrick is considering making changes to Middlesbrough's starting lineup for this important game. The fitness of Darragh Lenihan, Jonny Howson, and Matt Crooks is being assessed, with Crooks dropping to the substitutes' bench against the Bluebirds. Emmanuel Latte Lath may be included in the attack ahead of Josh Coburn based on his performance in the previous match. 

Dieng; Smith, Fry, Lenihan, Engel; Howson, Hackney; Jones, Crooks, McGree; Lath

Despite their contrasting performances this season, this match appears to be evenly matched due to Middlesbrough's recent improvement. We anticipate an exciting game, with Sunderland potentially securing a draw in the final stages. Double chance on Middlesbrough will be a good bet.