Sunderland vs Millwall

Sunderland pursues Premier League promotion during the weekend by hosting Millwall for a Championship match on Saturday.

Before the weekend starts the Sunderland team maintains an established 12-point lead above the teams relegated to the bottom of the standings.

Sunderland finds its route to Premier League promotion more probable through the playoffs since they trail both Sheffield United and Leeds United by 11 points and claim the automatic promotion positions.

During the February stretch Sunderland lost 2 important matches to Leeds and Hull City while their automatic promotion hopes suffered as they collected only one point after facing Preston North End and Coventry City during the international break.

Under the leadership of Regis Le Bris the Black Cats have surpassed expectations since his arrival from Lorient before last summer.

During the eight games of the current season Sunderland has accumulated exactly the number of points it gathered during the 2022-23 campaign to reach the playoff stage.

Le Bris can take pride in his first English football season since his team secured the playoffs while finishing 16th last year.

Their intimidating form throughout this campaign makes it seem unlikely that Sunderland could have achieved automatic promotion even if Leeds, Burnley, and Sheffield United had not dominated.

The hosts demonstrate first-class attack and defensive capabilities since they hold the fifth position in defensive strength while maintaining a fourth-best offensive power among divisional teams.

After a recent stumble, Sunderland will be eager to close their campaign on a high note as they chase a return to the Premier League for the first time since 2016-17.

The Black Cats have been formidable at home this season, losing just once in the league and boasting the Championship’s third-best home record.

This weekend, they face a Millwall side with the sixth-best away record in the division, having picked up 23 points from 19 matches on the road.

Despite sitting 11th in the table, the Lions remain in the playoff conversation—just six points adrift of the top six. With eight games left, they still have an outside chance of securing a surprise playoff spot.

Though Sunderland hold an 18-point advantage over Millwall ahead of this clash, the visitors will believe they can compete with any promotion contender if they manage to sneak into the playoffs.

However, recent losses to Bristol City and Leeds have exposed their struggles against fellow promotion hopefuls—a potential concern if they do reach the postseason.

This match presents Millwall with a chance to prove their credentials, and they may see it as an ideal moment to take on Sunderland. The visitors have won two of their last three away league games and three of their last five overall.

Defensively, Millwall have been solid this season, conceding just 39 goals in 38 matches—the sixth-best record in the league—and only two more than their upcoming opponents.