Sunderland in for derby with a difference
IT IS a SunderlandNewcastle match like never before.
The two bitter rivals meet tonight in the third round of the Checkatrade Trophy at the Stadium of Light and, while bragging rights might not be as important as usual, it will attract one of the biggest crowds in the competition’s history.
Back-to-back relegations mean that League One Sunderland are playing in a competition made up of lower division teams and Under-21 sides of clubs from the Premier League and Championship.
So, while the Black Cats will have a familiar look about them, few Magpies with any first team experience will be on the pitch.
But that has failed to prevent
2,800 Toon fans buying tickets. They probably could have sold three times that figure but their allocation was restricted.
Sunderland have pulled in almost 80,000 fans for their last two home league fixtures but only about 16,000 of them are expected to attend. the Checkatrade clash. This is the 157th meeting between them, a Tyne-Wear derby with a difference.
At first-team level, Sunderland have dominated the derby in recent years. Between April 2013 and October 2015, they won six in a row and are undefeated since August 2011.
But bragging rights are a one-way street tonight and, even if the Newcastle U21s pull off a shock win, the club can hardly claim their poor run has ended.
Manager Rafa Benitez has more to concern him than embarrassing the Black Cats and the only players with first-team experience who could figure are Jamie Sterry and Sean Longstaff.
Sunderland boss Jack Ross admits the clash is not ideal for his side, who face Luton in a meeting of promotion rivals on Saturday.
“It is unusual because we are involved as a first team,” said Ross, who is unlikely to start out-of-contract top scorer Josh Maja.
“This match is a consequence of us having suffered two relegations while Newcastle have retained their place in the top league. We want a derby at the top level and, no matter how you dress it up, that’s not this one. The motivation here is to move another step closer to Wembley.”
Newcastle midfielder Jonjo Shelvey is expected to miss Saturday’s league trip to Chelsea with a thigh problem.