Bristol City vs Sunderland Prediction: Robins can maintain play-off form

Fifth faces fourth in the Championship on Good Friday as Bristol City and Sunderland go head-to-head at Ashton Gate (15:00 kick-off).

There are 12 points separating the two sides, but it’s the Robins who go into the clash in better form and need the points to seal their place in the play-offs. City won this fixture by a single goal last season and it’s likely to be another tight affair on Friday.

Football Odds

Team News

Bristol City are expected to make at least a couple of changes from the side that drew 1-1 at QPR last weekend.

Boss Liam Manning is waiting for news on Mark Sykes, who missed the clash at Loftus Road and remains a doubt due to injury.

Luke McNally and Ayman Benarous are both still sidelined, while Yu Hirakawa is understood to have picked up a knock in the recent draw.

George Tanner could be handed a start having come on as a sub last Saturday, while Manning looks set to stick with George Earthy and Nahki Wells up top.

Regis Le Bris is expected to continue his policy of rotating his Black Cats starting XI, with a few fitness concerns to contend with ahead of Friday’s game.

Trai Hume, who scored Sunderland’s last two goals, has been battling with a hip problem and will be assessed before this clash.

With Dan Ballard still missing through injury, Chris Mepham and Luke O’Nien are likely to start as the centre-back partnership.

The manager has hinted that Enzo Le Fee is set to start having recently returned from injury, but Jobe Bellingham is set to miss out due to an ankle injury. 

Bristol City vs Sunderland Odds

The hosts are 13/10 to claim a vital three points in their play-off push, the draw can be backed at 12/5 and a Sunderland win is 21/10.

Bristol City to win @ 13/10

With Sunderland having already secured their place in the play-offs, it’s understandable that their form has dipped in recent weeks.

They head to Ashton Gate having won just two of their last six league games and face a Robins team who have only lost once since mid-February and that was against Burnley.

Since the turn of the year, City have lost just one of nine in the league at home and won seven of those fixtures.

Under 2.5 Goals @ 8/11

A recent lack of goals will be a concern for the Black Cats, who have scored just twice in their last five matches.

Last week’s home defeat to Swansea saw them touch the ball 21 times in the opposition box but register just three shots on target.

Meanwhile, City are the lowest scorers in the top-six of the Championship - averaging 1.28 goals per game.

Manning’s squad scored with their only shot on target at QPR, so recent stats suggest that this will not be a game full of goals.

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