Sunderland vs Sheffield United Prediction 01.01.2025 | Championship

• Competition: England - Championship
• Date: Wednesday, 1st, January 2025
• Kickoff: 20:00 UK / 21:00 CEST
• Venue: Stadium of Light (Sunderland)

On Wednesday, New Year's Day, Sunderland and Sheffield United face off at the Stadium of Light, both eager to strengthen their bids for automatic promotion.

After a frustrating last season that saw them finish in subpar 16th place, Sunderland are showcasing a whole new energy in the ongoing 2024-25 Championship campaign and they seem determined to fight for one of the automatic promotion spots. With an enviable 44 points collected from 24 league matches, the Black Cats sit a fine fourth on the table, trailing second-placed Sheffield United by just four points, which gives them a golden opportunity to close the gap if they succeed on New Year's Day.

Sheffield United, having been relegated as the bottom team in the Premier League last season, have set out strong ambitions for an immediate return to the top tier, and in order to reach that goal, they must maintain the same level of performance as in the first half of the season to keep their hopes alive for promotion. Right now, the Blades sit in the last automatic promotion position, and they would be neck and neck with table-toppers Leeds United if the English Football Association hadn’t taken away two points from them at the start of the season.

Sunderland vs Sheffield United Betting Tips: X2 (DOUBLE CHANCE)

Even though Sunderland enjoys the benefit of playing at home, their recent form doesn’t inspire much hope, as they’ve won only three of their last 10 league games in the second division. After two disappointing results, a 2-2 draw at Blackburn and a last-gasp 0-1 loss to Stoke, the Black Cats' promotion hopes are faltering, and with their poor head-to-head record against Sheffield in recent years, where they were beaten in all but one of the last six meetings, their winless run looks set to continue. After slipping off the top of the table due to just one point from their last two CHA matches, the Blades are hopeful for a strong performance on the road, having gone unbeaten in their last six away trips, winning four of those outings. At this moment, Sheffield United are showing more confidence, and they should capitalize on Sunderland's slump to extend their impressive road form with another standout display.