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Sunderland v Middlesbrough, FA Cup Round 4

Written by Chris Sturdy

sunderlandfans The first of two FA Cup fourth round ties taking place on Sunday is a Wear / Tees derby as Sunderland host Middlesbrough.

As far as North East derby matches go this may not rank alongside meetings between Sunderland and Newcastle but the adrenalin should certainly be running on and off the field as it is the first time in the last three years that the teams have met and a place in round five of the cup is at stake.

Boro were relegated from the Premier League in the 2008/09 season but they are challenging for promotion in the current campaign. They currently occupy fourth position, five points shy of the automatic promotion places but they have stumbled since the turn of the year, taking just one point from their last four Championship matches. A 1-0 home win over League 2 side Shrewsbury in the previous round of this competition is their only success in 2012 and comes in between defeats at Blackpool (3-0), home to Burnley (2-0) and away at struggling Coventry (3-1). In the Championship Boro have played 13 away games, winning seven, drawing two and losing four. That means their away record reads marginally better than home form and they have five clean sheets on their travels.

Boro had bowed out of this competition at the third round stage in each of the two previous seasons but they had enjoyed decent cup runs before then, reaching the quarter finals in 2008/09, 2007/08 and also 2006/07. On the team news front, Boro had two men sent off in the defeat at Coventry last week, Kevin Thomson and former Sunderland star Julio Arca the culprits and both miss out through suspension. With two other midfielders on the injury list, Boro are short of options in the middle of the park.

It really is about time Sunderland put a cup run together. Recent history in this competition is littered with third and fourth round exits but hopes are higher that could change with the arrival of Martin O'Neill already sparking a remarkable turnaround in their Premier League form. In nine matches since O'Neill took over from Steve Bruce, Sunderland have six wins, one draw and the two defeats were of the 1-0 variety, away from home at Spurs and Chelsea. Included in that sequence is a 2-0 win at Peterborough in the third round of this competition. Sunderland have won three and drawn one of four home matches under O' Neill, only one of which has delivered over 2.5 goals. On the team news front Niklas Bendtner is a major doubt after picking up a facial injury in last weekend's 2-0 home win over Swansea.

Sunderland beat Boro here 2-0 in 2008/09 and 3-2 in 2007/08 although both clubs are pretty much unrecognizable in terms of personnel these days.

The Betting - Match Result

Sunderland 15/20 BetXchange

Draw 26/10 Sportsbet

Boro 41/10 Sportsbet

Selected Others

Double chance Draw/Boro 11/10 Sportsbet

Under 2.5 goals 8/10 Voltbet, BetXchange

Over 2.5 goals 11/10 World Sports Betting

Both teams to score (yes) 9/10 Sportingbet, BetXchange

Odds are correct at the time of publication but are subject to change. Some bookmakers may not have priced up on all markets at the time of publication. Remember you can bet in play where available.

The Verdict

The local derby ingredient makes for a fascinating contest and Boro will have to significantly raise their game from recent displays to keep Sunderland at bay. I wouldn't totally rule that out as Sunderland are usually well worth opposing in cup competitions but the visitors team news in midfield does not bode well and that key area of the field in derby matches could well be dominated by an in form Sunderland side. On the face of it, the top price for a home win looks fair enough.

Bet: Sunderland to win, 15/20 BetXchange

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