EFL Championship: Semi-Finals First Leg
Stadium: Stadium of Light
13th May 2023
Sunderland is set to host Luton Town on Saturday at the Stadium of Light. Who will come out on top after 90 minutes?
Receive Your Welcome Bonus!Sunderland form
Sunderland had a difficult period in February and March when they lost four out of five matches, making it seem unlikely that they would achieve their goal of a top-six position. Despite this, they managed to go on an unbeaten streak of nine games, including four wins and five draws, which secured their place in sixth position.
While they needed a bit of help from Millwall's collapse against Blackburn Rovers on the final day, Sunderland will feel that their 3-0 victory at Preston North End was a deserving contribution to their playoff qualification.
Their away form was particularly impressive, with 10 points collected from their previous four away games, while their strong second-half performance against Preston demonstrated their determination to succeed.
However, their home form is a concern, having drawn four of their last five matches at the Stadium of Light, with the run starting from their 1-1 draw against Luton on March 18th.
Sunderland Predicted Lineup
Patterson; Gooch, Hume, Anderson, O'Nien; Neil, Ekwah; Roberts, Diallo, Clarke; Gelhardt
Luton Town Form
The draw against Sunderland was a disappointment for Luton as it allowed Sheffield United to extend their lead in the second spot. Nevertheless, Luton cannot be too disheartened as it took an impressive unbeaten run of 14 matches to finish 11 points behind Sheffield United.
During that unbeaten run, Luton won eight games and drew six, and they have understandably eased off a bit since securing a home second leg in the playoffs.
In their last match, Luton fielded a much-changed side and played out a goalless draw at home to Hull City. However, Rob Edwards will be expecting his key players to return refreshed as they aim to pull off one of the most surprising promotions to the Premier League.
Luton Town's possible lineup
Horvath; Lockyer, Bradley, Bell; Drameh, Berry, Nakamba, Mpanzu, Doughty; Adebayo, Morris
Sunderland vs Luton Town Expert Tips
These two teams have recently played against each other in a corresponding league fixture. Since then, both teams have managed to stay undefeated. It wouldn't be unexpected to see the same result as before, a draw with a low score. This result may be advantageous for both teams as they prepare for the reverse fixture. Expect less than 2.5 goals in the game.