Derby vs Sunderland: Championship match prediction

Current form

Derby County achieved promotion last season by finishing second in League One and will be looking to avoid relegation this season but currently sit 19th in the table, just one point above the relegation zone. They have failed to pick up a point in their last four Championship games, losing to Leeds (0-1), Sheffield Wednesday (2-4), Bristol City (0-1) and Watford (0-2). They also failed to progress to the next round of the FA Cup, losing on penalties to Leyton Orient of League One.

Disqualifications and injuries

Ryan Nyambe, Nathaniel Phillips and Joe Ward are all out through injury.

Interesting trends for betting

• The team has lost its last five matches
• The Rams haven't beaten their current opponents since 2001.

Tentative line-up: Zetterstorm - Elder, Phillips, Nelson, Wilson - Thompson, Goudmain - Mendez-Lang, Harness, Jackson - Yates

Current form

Sunderland played in League One a couple of seasons ago, but now they are seriously aiming to return to the Premier League, which fans of the black cats have already missed. The team currently occupies fourth place in the league table and is four points behind the direct promotion zone. In the first two Championship matches in 2025, the visitors won against Sheffield United (2:1) and Portsmouth (1:0), and then drew with one of the main competitors, Burnley (0:0). At the same time, the team was eliminated from the cup, losing to Stoke City (1:2).

Disqualifications and injuries

Brown, Huggins, Mandl, Poveda, Zilt and Watson will miss the match due to injuries.

Interesting trends for betting

• The team has lost only one of its last four matches.
• The visitors have kept clean sheets in two of their last three matches

Estimated lineup: Patterson - Hume, Mepham, O'Nein, Sirkin - Neal, Bellingham - Roberts, Rigg, Mayenda - Isidore