Sunderland vs Birmingham City Prediction: Rooney is yet to win with Birmingham

Sunderland will welcome Birmingham City at Stadium of Light in Game Week 16 of the English Championship. Wayne Rooney led Birmingham still looking for their first win since his appointment. Sunderland will be looking for their third win on the trot. Who will come out on top after 90 minutes?

Sunderland form

Sunderland has faced setbacks in recent matches against Middlesbrough, Stoke City, and Leicester City, but they have managed to recover by earning four points in their recent matches against Norwich City and Swansea City. In October, they had a comeback victory against Norwich City at the Stadium of Light, followed by a goalless draw against Swansea City. The team is currently in eighth place, two points behind sixth-placed Preston North End, and they face the challenge of replicating last season's success of reaching the playoffs. Their inconsistent record at home games has been a hindrance, with three losses out of seven matches at the Stadium of Light, including a 4-0 defeat to Middlesbrough. Despite this, Sunderland is focused on nurturing their young talent, such as 18-year-old Jobe Bellingham, who was signed from Saturday's opponent, and who will be facing his former club this weekend.

Sunderland Predicted Lineup

Patterson; Hume, O'Nien, Ballard, Huggins; Ekwah, Clarke, Bellingham, Neil, Roberts; Semedo

Birmingham City form

After Jay Stansfield scored his fifth goal of the season for Birmingham and Ipswich Town defender Cameron Burgess unintentionally scored against his own team, it seemed like Rooney's side would be rewarded for their improved performance with a win against promotion-chasing Tractor Boys. However, despite playing well for most of the game, the Blues couldn't hold off the pressure from the visitors in the final stages. Marcus Harness came off the bench and scored two quick goals, forcing Birmingham to settle for a draw. 

Rooney, who has adopted an aggressive style of football, is still being questioned by fans after only earning one point in his first four matches as the manager. The team currently sits in 15th place in the Championship, with 19 points from their first 15 games. Their playoff hopes are fading fast, with sixth-placed Preston being six points ahead. Birmingham will need to start winning games soon if they want to keep their slim chances alive. 

Although there has been a lot of focus on the attacking abilities of Siriki Dembele and Koji Miyoshi this season, captain Dion Sanderson's defensive work has also been commendable. Sanderson, along with John Ruddy, is one of the few Birmingham players to have started every second-tier match.

Birmingham City Predicted Lineup

Ruddy; Laird, Sanderson, Aiwu, Drameh; Bielik, Sunjic, Bacuna; Miyoshi, Burke, Stansfield

Sunderland vs Birmingham City Expert Tips

Sunderland's performance at the Stadium of Light has been challenging at times this season. Nevertheless, the upcoming match against a struggling Birmingham team provides a favourable opportunity to secure a full three points. Although the Blues are gradually improving under Rooney's tactics, we do not anticipate a victory for the new manager in this weekend's game. Expect over 2.5 goals in the game with Birmingham knicking at least one in the opponent's net.