Sheffield Wednesday – Sunderland

The opponents will hit each other’s goal at least three times

There is more football sense than meets the eye in the opening game of the next round of the Championships. Sunderland in this pair epitomises the ability to adapt to the realities of a new division, to rebuild during the season and set the bar high immediately after promotion. Sheffield Wednesday, on the contrary, are a negative example in this regard. It's all about the fact that the Black Cats struggled to get into the Championship in League One the season before last, but finished their first season in the play-off zone, where they could seek their second promotion in two seasons. "Wasps", unlike the upcoming opponent, titanic efforts to get the right to play in the Championship at the end of last season, in the first eight rounds became the only team that did not win a single match and scored the least number of goals among all clubs in the division. Bookmakers consider the visitors as favourites for the upcoming meeting, offering odds of 2.29 on their victory. Sheffield Wednesday started the season in the Championship with the lowest transfer value of the squad among all clubs in the division. After signing several free agents and loaning players, the Wasps have moved up to third from bottom in this ranking, which doesn't change much. That's not to say Sheffield isn't struggling to pick up points. Only two of the eight duels played in the Championship were lost by the club with a difference of more than one goal. It is also worth noting that the Wasps are progressing. In September, they took points away from Leeds and Middlesbrough, which allows us to conclude that the club is becoming more competitive. A home match against a rather strong opponent is the time for Wansday to fight in front of their own fans for the first victory. Sunderland lost their opening two games of the new season, but immediately rehabilitated themselves with a five-match unbeaten streak. In the course of it, Southampton and Blackburn, among others, suffered from the clutches of the "black cats". Sunderland's winning streak was interrupted only in the last round, when he unexpectedly lost at home to Cardiff City. The average performance of the Black Cats almost reaches two goals per match, which should affect the performance of the game in Sheffield.