Burnley vs Sunderland predictions: Black Cats can frustrate Clarets
- There are just two points between Burnley and Sunderland in the Championship
- The pair’s last meeting at Turf Moor finished 0-0 in 2023
- Recommended bet: Draw
As is so often the case in England’s second tier, the Championship promotion race is extremely tight, with just three points separating Leeds in first and Sunderland in fourth.
That means Friday’s clash between the Black Cats and second-placed Burnley is huge and there may be little to split the promotion-chasing pair at Turf Moor.
Team news
Long-term absentees Manuel Benson, Jordan Beyer and Aaron Ramsey remain out for Burnley, who will also be without suspended midfielder Hannibal Mejbri.
Scott Parker named a rotated side for the FA Cup victory at Reading and he should bring Josh Brownhill, Josh Cullen and his other star men back in for this clash.
Ian Poveda, Alan Browne, Aji Alese, Niall Huggins, Romaine Mundle and Jenson Seelt make up a lengthy injury list for Sunderland, who must also assess Daniel Ballard and Ahmed Abdullahi.
High-profile loan signing Enzo Le Fee could make his first Black Cats appearance.
The stats
Three of Burnley’s last four matches have finished level, while four of Sunderland’s last seven away games have also ended in parity.
The Clarets are unbeaten in 14 matches, but Sunderland won the reverse fixture between these sides 1-0 at the Stadium of Light in August.
Just two of Burnley’s last 20 Championship games have gone over 2.5 goals.
Sunderland have lost just two of their last 19 Championship matches.
Prediction
Many will have expected Burnley to be in the Championship promotion race ahead of the season, given the strength of their squad and the appointment of the experienced Scott Parker as manager, but less would have guessed Sunderland would be in the mix-up post-Christmas.
Regis Le Bris has impressed massively in his first season in England, despite managing an extremely young squad, and the Black Cats are showing no signs of slowing down, losing just two of their last 19 league matches.
Those defeats have both come by just a single goal, showing they can be competitive in any game, and they should have enough to earn a point at Turf Moor, where Burnley tend to be involved in draws.
Three of the Clarets’ last four home matches have finished level and while they may be able to extend their stunning unbeaten run to 15 games, a win may prove beyond them, expecially as four of Sunderland’s last seven away matches have resulted in stalemates.
With just two points separating these sides in the Championship table and neither likely to over-commit knowing how crucial this game is in the race for promotion, a sharing of the spoils looks likely.
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