Match Preview: Everything you need to know ahead of Sunderland v Blackpool!

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Tuesday 27th April 2021

(3rd) Sunderland v Blackpool (6th)

Sky Bet League One

Stadium of Light

Kick-Off: 7.00pm

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Match Coverage

TV/Stream: Full live match coverage available via www.safc.com.

Radio: Full live match commentary available via BBC Radio Newcastle (not online)

Don’t forget to follow the blow-by-blow account of the game on the Roker Report Twitter feed (@RokerReport) and check out the player ratings after the full-time whistle at www.RokerReport.com!

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Sunderland are one of only three sides without a win in the last five games and now the automatic places are all but out of reach, the focus needs to be on cementing a place in the play-offs.

There is still a great opportunity to make this season a huge success in terms of a promotion and cup double, and the quicker we confirm our place for the next stage the sooner we can start preparing.

Photo by Ian Horrocks/Sunderland AFC via Getty Images

Blackpool currently sit five points behind Sunderland but have a game in hand, and like Sunderland will be determined to confirm a place in the play-offs.

After a great run Neil Critchley’s side are having a bit of a wobble and won only once in the last five which came against Sunderland at Bloomfield Park.

Photo by Dave Howarth - CameraSport via Getty Images

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League One Form Guide

Last five games...

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Sunderland Team News

With no additional players available from the weekend it will be purely down to what level of rotation Lee Johnson might fancy for the visit of Blackpool tonight.

It might just be a case of who is preferred in the middle of the park and if Jordan Jones comes back into the starting XI.

Possible XI: Burge, Power, Wright, O’Nien, Hume, Scowen, Leadbitter, Gooch, McGeady, O’Brien, Wyke

Photo by Ian Horrocks/Sunderland AFC via Getty Images

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Blackpool Team News

Changes could be expected after recent form and the visitors could be boosted by the return of midfielder Kevin Stewart after around six weeks out through an ankle injury. It’s unlikely he’ll make the starting XI but he could feature from the bench.

Possible XI: Maxwell, Turton, Ballard, Thorniley, Garbutt, Dougall, Ward, Mitchell, Robson, Kaikai, Yates

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Last Time We Met... at the Stadium of Light

Saturday 14th December 2019

Sky Bet League One

Sunderland 1-1 Blackpool

(Wyke 37’ - Virtue 4’)

Sunderland: J. McLaughlin, Flanagan, Ozturk, De Bock, O’Nien, Dobson, Power, Hume, Maguire (Leadbitter), Watmore (Gooch), Wyke (Grigg) Substitutes not used: Burge, C. McLaughlin, Lynch, McNulty

Blackpool: Alnwick, Feeney, Husband, Turton, Edwards, Tilt, Virtue (Thompson), Spearing, Gnanduillet, Kaikai (Scannell), Delfouneso (Nuttall) Substitutes not used: Sims, MacDonald, Bushiri, Guy

Attendance: 30,595

Photo by Ian Horrocks/Sunderland AFC via Getty Images

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Played For Both

Andy Reid

Signed for Sunderland in 2008 in a deal worth around £5 million after starting out at Nottingham Forest and subsequent moves to Tottenham Hotspur and Charlton Athletic.

Left almost exactly three years later, after 80 appearances and 6 goals to join Blackpool in a deal until the end of the season but only made five appearances before heading back to Nottingham Forest that summer. He retired from football due to injury in 2016.

Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images

Paul Stewart

Started out at Blackpool making his debut in 1982 and he went on to make over 200 appearances ahead of a big move to Manchester City in 1987. One full season there led to another big move to Tottenham Hotspur where he won the FA Cup and made his international debut for England.

A move to Liverpool in 1992 didn’t work out and he eventually joined Peter Reid’s Sunderland on a free transfer as we were pushing for promotion in 1995-96, and left in the summer of 1997 after making 39 appearances and scoring 5 goals.

Photo by Dave Kendall - PA Images/PA Images via Getty Images

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Head to Head... at the Stadium of Light

In all competitions...

Played: 32

Sunderland wins: 17

Draws: 9

Blackpool wins: 6

Goals for Sunderland: 54

Goals for Blackpool: 37

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Match Betting

For the first time in a while Sunderland aren’t odds on to win at home with the bookmakers, as the home win is priced at 21/20, while Blackpool are 14/5, and the draw 11/5.

In terms of correct score, a 1-0 Sunderland victory is 5/1, and the bookies have it close with a price of 24/5 for 1-1.

Charlie Wyke is 14/5 to open the scoring for Sunderland and 21/20 anytime scorer and if you think Max Power can repeat his goalscoring exploits he is on offer at 6/1.

Photo by Ian Horrocks/Sunderland AFC via Getty Images

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Match Prediction

I’m with the bookies on this one - I think it’s going to be tight.

Sunderland 1-1 Blackpool