Blackburn – Sunderland

The neighbours in the standings will demonstrate medium to high performance

Blackburn are in their seventh season in the Championship after a brief stint in League One. Here Rovers have established themselves as a stable mid-table side, but last season they almost dropped out, finishing in nineteenth position. Even during the last championship the team was entrusted to John Eustace, who is at the beginning of his coaching career. If in the second half of the last Championships Blackburn did not impress, then the first months of the current season the team performs at a qualitatively new level. Similarly, Sunderland's successes in the autumn of 2024 can be described. Sixteenth place of the past championship "black cats" changed to a place in the top 6 of the current season. Now the team goes fourth, but recently led in the standings. Bookmakers have identified the guests as favourites for the upcoming meeting with a slight bias, offering odds of 2.51 on their victory. Blackburn, according to the estimates of specialised resources, has a total cost of the squad twice lower than that of the upcoming opponent. Despite the relatively "poor" personnel potential, the Blue and Whites have started the championship quite well. In October-November, they lost five out of seven league rounds, reminding them of themselves from last season. However, over the last month and a half Blackburn have produced a series that has "thrown" the club straight into fifth place. It consisted of six consecutive victories, during which, among others, were defeated Leeds and Middlesbrough, as well as conceded only one goal. The peculiarity of the last game period of Rovers is the low efficiency of matches with their participation. Only one of the past six duels contained two goals, the restless. Sunderland in the standings is the next "barrier", which is located on the path of Blackburn. "Black cats" go fourth, but their dynamics of moving in the standings is negative. Until recently, the club was leading in the Championship. According to the results of the last ten rounds Sunderland won only three times, but these victories took place in the last four matches, which makes the "Black Cats" dangerous opponents. None of the seven head-to-head meetings between the opponents since 2011 have ended with less than two goals scored. Let's bet that the visitors' activity will break Rovers' downward streak.