Sunderland – Rotherham Utd

The home team will prevail in the battle of the newcomers of the Championship

"The Black Cats will play their second successive game at home. The Championship newcomer, who has risen from the League One ranks and not long ago trampled the fields of the English top flight, will face the best defence in the league this time around. Rotherham are also new to the Championship, but have made a more ambitious start to the current season. Surprisingly, after playing one match less than the other top half of the table, the Millers are in the top 5 of the Championship. And that's with the lowest transfer value of the average Championship squad. Sunderland played well in League One last season, reaching the play-offs from fifth place. In the semi-finals, the Black Cats took on Sheffield Wansday 2-1 on aggregate, before leaving Wycombe Wanderers 2-0 down in the final. Unlike many other Championship clubs, Sunderland did not rely on loan players, instead acquiring Jack Clarke from Tottenham, Daniel Ballard from Arsenal and several other players of Championship calibre for relatively little money. In England's second-best division, the team started the season on a good mark. At the end of six rounds, Neil's side had only lost twice: against Sheffield United, when they picked up a first-half penalty, and against Norwich, who were outshot by half a goal. Rotherham climbed into the Championship from second place in League One. The team shone in defence last season, conceding 33 goals in 46 games in their division. In a similar style, the Millers manage to achieve results in a stronger league. After five meetings played, Rotherham have conceded just two goals, which were back-to-back meetings with Swansea and CRC, and also ended with the same scoreline of 1-1. It is also worth noting that six goals out of eight for Rotherham in the Championship were scored by striker Ogbene and... defender Wood, who took three shots apiece. Last season's game at the Stadium of Light ended 1-1, with Rotherham defender Michael Ihikwe scoring both goals. The home-field factor and knowledge of their opponents for the industrious Black Cats should carry decisive weight. We'll bet on them to win with a handicap (0).