Key occasions
20 minutes: Coventry are bossing possession nevertheless it’s all in entrance of the Sunderland defence – and now Sakamoto will get penalised for a foul throw. The indignity!
18 minutes: Coventry win a nook, Ballard clearing behind underneath strain from Rudoni. Dan Neil clears the primary supply away nevertheless it finally ends up with Rudoni, who’s shepherded away from aim by Cirkin.
16 minutes: Mason-Clark, who is working on the left with Haji Wright within the center, cuts inside and fires a shot that’s nicely struck, however straight at Patterson.
14 minutes: An bold lengthy diagonal ball from Coventry is headed again to the keeper by Hume.
12 minutes: Sunderland are simply faster to the unfastened balls, the 50-50s, and so forth to date. Sakamoto and Sheaf do nicely to interrupt up an assault right here, although.
11 minutes: Wilson Isidor pounces on a unfastened ball and hurls himself over as Kitching steps throughout him. He’s booked for a dive, which seems a very good name at first viewing.
10 minutes: Ephron Mason-Clark, who replaces Thomas-Asante in the one Coventry change, will get into house on the left aspect of the world, however can’t discover a colleague in cyan and the ball is cleared.
8 minutes: Coventry haven’t been in a position to make a dent in Sunderland’s well-drilled again line but. But it surely’s early.
“Is it simply me or does Regis Le Bris appear to be he could possibly be former Sunderland supervisor Chris Coleman’s stressed-out cousin?” asks Peter Oh. I can see the resemblance; Coleman managed each these golf equipment, and was fairly pressured for many of these tenures.
6 minutes: Van Ewijk slips within the field, permitting Enzo Le Price to chest down and shoot – however his effort flies over the bar.
5 minutes: Marginal good points dept: it appears Sunderland have moved their promoting boards to stymie Coventry’s lengthy throw weaponry – and the guests additionally discovered the heating turned up of their dressing room earlier.
3 minutes: Ben Sheaf tries to select his approach by way of the Sunderland midfield however is dispossessed. Each interception is being greeted with enormous cheers.
2 minutes: Coventry, of their conventional sky blue, are caught offside on their first foray upfield. It’ll be attention-grabbing to see if the hosts persist with their first-leg sport plan and sit again early on right here.
Kick off
The house followers have unfurled an enormous, black cat tifo emblazoned with the phrases “Until The Finish”. I’m positive they’d somewhat get it completed in 90 minutes.
{Photograph}: Owen Humphreys/PA
In playoff historical past, 10 groups of 64 who misplaced the primary leg at residence had been in a position to flip it round … together with Frank Lampard’s Derby County in 2019.
Regis Le Bris: “We anticipate a tricky sport, we’re midway there … the gang can be behind us, they may help by way of tough moments.”
Frank Lampard: “We’ll play the sport in entrance of us … we all know how the primary leg went, it’s contemporary in our thoughts. We need to play how we’ve been taking part in within the second half of the season.”
Right here’s how Sheffield United booked their place at Wembley:
Workforce information
Sunderland (4-4-2): Patterson; Hume, Ballard, O’Nien, Cirkin; Roberts, Neil, Bellingham, Le Price; Mayenda, Isidor.
Subs: Moore, Browne, Rigg, Mundle, Abdul Samed, Mepham, Hjelde, Watson, Jones.
Coventry (4-2-3-1): Wilson; van Ewijk, Thomas, Kitching, Dasilva; Grimes, Sheaf; Sakamoto, Rudoni, Wright; Mason-Clark.
Subs: Collins, Binks, Allen, Simms, Paterson, Bidwell, Thomas-Asante,
Latibeaudiere, Eccles.
Referee: Andrew Madley (West Yorkshire)
Preamble
Coventry Metropolis haven’t performed within the Premier League since 2001; Sunderland fell out of the highest flight in 2017 and are but to return. Each golf equipment have, to totally different levels, been by way of troubled occasions since, however now the golden ticket is in attain once more.
Chris Wilder and his Sheffield United aspect are the final-level boss ready at Wembley’s gates, however just one workforce will get to take them on. Sunderland have a transparent edge after successful 2-1 on the CBS Area final week, however the playoffs are hardly ever so easy.
Will Frank Lampard proceed his spectacular run, taking Coventry from relegation fears to the playoff closing? Or will Régis Le Bris again up his claims that Sunderland’s beach-worthy late league type would enhance when it counted?
There’s just one strategy to discover out. Be a part of me for kick-off at 8pm BST, with workforce information to return.
