Sunderland vs Coventry predictions, betting tips and odds: Resurgent Black Cats can finish the job

Where to watch Sunderland vs Coventry

You can watch Sunderland vs Coventry in the Championship playoff semi-final, second leg at 8pm on Tuesday, May 13, live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football.

Sunderland vs Coventry prediction & best bet

Sunderland
1pt 6-5 bet365, Betfair, Paddy Power

Recommended Offer

4/5

NEW CUSTOMER OFFER

Get £50 In Free Bets When You Place Any Bet

NEW CUSTOMER OFFER

• Freeze a winning score and win a leg of your acca early with AccaFreeze

CLAIM OFFER

18+ T&Cs apply

New customers only. First single & E/W bet only. Odds of 1/1 or greater. 5 X £10 bet tokens. Free bet stakes not included in returns. Free bets exclude virtuals. Free bets are non withdrawable. Free bets expire after 30 days. Eligibility restrictions and further T&Cs apply.

Sunderland vs Coventry odds

Here are the latest odds ahead of Sunderland vs Coventry in the Championship playoffs

Odds correct at time of publishing

Want more top football betting advice? Make sure you take a look at Racing Post Sport's tips for more of the latest picks from our experts.

Sunderland vs Coventry predictions

It's eight years since Sunderland were relegated from the Premier League but they've been to Wembley four times since and can book another trip to the biggest theatre of all with victory against Coventry.

There has been playoff joy and heartache along the way, but as the Black Cats have fought their way back up from League One they have registered seven wins and a draw in eight home matches in the EFL playoffs.

There was a loss of focus towards the end of the regular season in the Championship this year and they closed their campaign with five success defeats. 

But the Wearsiders were switched on from the first whistle for the first leg of their playoff semi-final on Friday and were rewarded with a vital 2-1 victory.

Regis Le Bris set his team up in a 4-4-2 formation and was quite happy for his players to defend in depth and look for decisive moments on the counter-attack.

The strategy worked a treat with starting centre-forwards Wilson Isidor and Eliezer Mayenda helping themselves to a goal apiece.

Coventry may feel a little bit hard done but their dominant 74 per cent share of possession did not translate to enough clear-cut openings and they were forced to accept a narrow loss to a side they had beaten 3-0 in a home league fixture less than two months previously.

However, the task of recovering from a first-leg loss is unlikely to faze Sky Blues' manager Frank Lampard, who has a positive experience he can draw upon.

Lampard was in charge of Derby's 2018-19 Championship playoff campaign and oversaw a 1-0 loss to Leeds in the semi-final home leg before masterminding a 4-2 victory in the return match at Elland Road.

However, the Rams' triumph on that occasion was assisted by playing against a Marcelo Bielsa-coached Leeds side who refused to compromise their attacking principles.

Coventry's challenge at Sunderland could be tactically trickier for Lampard because his team will be up against more cautious opponents.

Sunderland defended superbly in the first leg and centre-back Dan Ballard delivered an imperious performance on his first start since February.

Ballard was cramping up towards the end but his influence on the team was a huge factor in their victory.

Keeping a solid structure is sure to be part of Le Bris's second-leg plan, but a more aggressive Sunderland press can also be expected as the home side look to feed off the atmosphere generated by their passionate supporters.

Playing the second leg at home always looked like a big advantage for Sunderland, whose 12 home league wins include successes over Burnley and Sheffield United, and they are up against a Coventry side who have tended to struggle on their travels.

The Sky Blues collected only one point from their last five road trips and another poor away performance could signal the end of their promotion dream.

Recommended Offer

4/5

NEW CUSTOMER OFFER

Get £50 In Free Bets When You Place Any Bet

NEW CUSTOMER OFFER

• Freeze a winning score and win a leg of your acca early with AccaFreeze

CLAIM OFFER

18+ T&Cs apply

New customers only. First single & E/W bet only. Odds of 1/1 or greater. 5 X £10 bet tokens. Free bet stakes not included in returns. Free bets exclude virtuals. Free bets are non withdrawable. Free bets expire after 30 days. Eligibility restrictions and further T&Cs apply.

Key stat

Coventry have lost four of their last five away games.

Sunderland vs Coventry team news

Sunderland
Romaine Mundle (hamstring) and Aji Alese (leg) are doubts.

Coventry
Ephron Mason-Clark (toe) came off the bench in the first leg but Norman Bassette (hip), Victor Torp (ankle) and Oliver Dovin (knee) remain unavailable.

Sunderland vs Coventry predicted line-ups

Sunderland (4-4-2): Patterson; Hume, Ballard, O'Nien, Cirkin; Roberts Neil, Bellingham, Le Fee; Isidor, Mayenda.
Subs: Mepham, Watson, Rigg, Abdul Samed, Browne, Hjelde, Seelt.

Coventry (4-2-3-1): Wilson; Van Ewijk, Thomas, Kitching, Dasilva; Grimes, Sheaf; Sakamoto, Rudoni, Wright; Thomas-Asante.
Subs: Eccles, Allen, Latibeaudiere, Paterson, Simms, Bidwell, Mason-Clark.

Recommended Offer

4/5

NEW CUSTOMER OFFER

Get £50 In Free Bets When You Place Any Bet

NEW CUSTOMER OFFER

• Freeze a winning score and win a leg of your acca early with AccaFreeze

CLAIM OFFER

18+ T&Cs apply

New customers only. First single & E/W bet only. Odds of 1/1 or greater. 5 X £10 bet tokens. Free bet stakes not included in returns. Free bets exclude virtuals. Free bets are non withdrawable. Free bets expire after 30 days. Eligibility restrictions and further T&Cs apply.

Sunderland vs Coventry Bet Builder player stats

Stats refer to league games only; does not include unavailable players

Sunderland vs Coventry bet builder predictions

Over 2.5 goals
Coventry will have no qualms about taking the game to Sunderland and their attacking mindset can contribute to a high-scoring second leg.

Enzo Le Fee any time assist
Le Fee delivered a superb through ball for Wilson Isidor's first leg strike and his creative talent could influence the outcome at the Stadium of Light.

Ben Sheaf to commit two or more fouls
Sheaf has a key role to play in breaking up Sunderland counter-attacks and seems likely to commit at least two fouls.

Pays out at 19-2 with Paddy Power

Read more . . .

Football accumulator tips for Tuesday May 13: Back our acca at 8-1 with bet365 

Tuesday's La Liga predictions and free football tips: Sociedad on the slide 

Best bets and predictions for the 2024-25 National League playoffs: Minstermen can hold their nerve 

Click for free bets and betting offers from the Racing Post

Commercial notice: This article contains affiliate links. Offers are handpicked and come from operators our experts have first-hand experience of. Opening an account via one of these links will earn revenue for the Racing Post, which will be used to continue producing our award-winning coverage of horseracing and sports betting.