The latest weekend in the Sky Bet Championship begins on Friday night when the action takes place at Hillsborough where Sheffield Wednesday go in search of a first win of the season when they host Sunderland.
Sheffield Wednesday have not started their return season in the Championship particularly well and really need to find a result here. Sunderland have recovered from a slow start and could end the night in fourth spot.
Where to watch
The match will be shown live and in full on the Sky Sports Football channel with the build-up in South Yorkshire beginning at 7.30pm ahead of an 8pm kick off.
Sheffield Wednesday
Whenever a team gets promoted via the play-offs they are immediately at a disadvantage the following season because of the few weeks less preparation time they have in terms of transfers, all kinds of recruitment and actually resting up ahead of pre-season, but this campaign is already in danger of getting away from the Owls. To compound the issues a play-off winning team face, Wednesday changed managers in the close season.
That move certainly doesn’t look like it has worked with them having just two points to show from their opening eight matches. They are struggling on the pitch and they look like an absolute basket case off it with their owner delivering statements about not putting any more money into the club. It feels like now is a good time to play Sheffield Wednesday and it will be interesting to see if they can rouse themselves to find a first win of the season.
Sunderland
While Sheffield Wednesday were winning the League One play-offs last season, Sunderland were losing in the semi-final of the Championship version and often that can bring with it a hangover. When Sunderland dropped the first two games of this season it looked like they were suffering with that but as it turns out they just lost to two teams in the top three in the table. Four wins from five followed but their momentum was halted last time out with a surprise home loss to Cardiff City.
Despite that defeat, Tony Mowbray has turned Sunderland into quite a watchable side, one which is improving all the time and who will be expected to be in the promotion shake up come the end of this season. The Black Cats have picked up seven points from 12 on their travels, scoring three goals in each of their last two away games. They are likely to come out looking to make a fast start and if they get in front the task could get much easier.
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Team News
Josh Windass is in line for a return to the starting XI after he was on the bench for the last game. He has recovered from the knock he received against Middlesbrough and could come in for John Buckley.
Sunderland are expected to be without a couple of members of their squad for this match with Bradley Dack out with a hamstring injury and Pierre Ekwah suffering with a dead leg. Jewison Bennette is likely to be available.
Betting
It is hard to oppose Sunderland in this match and I’m not going to do it but I am going to put some draw cover in play because there is a chance that Sheffield Wednesday will have a siege mentality approach to this one and they get a tune out of themselves as a result. The longer the Owls can stay level with Sunderland the more the crowd will get into this and back them but in the end I expect the Sunderland quality to come through and win the game.
There is the scenario that Sunderland get in front early and the crowd turns and the visitors run away with it and that is fine even with us having some draw cover. There is no doubt in my mind that Sunderland are the more progressive side who will be able to play with the more freedom of these two sides and ultimately I think that will be the difference. I will take the draw cover, especially as we are in a hectic run of matches, but it is Sunderland for me.
Tips
Back Sunderland (-0.25AH) to beat Sheffield Wednesday for a 3/10 stake at 1.95 with Bet365
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