Sunderland Under-21s set to face Wolves in play-offs
Sunderland’s Under-21s side will host Wolves in the Premier League 2 play-offs after finishing seventh in the 26-team competition.
Wins over Liverpool and Blackburn secured Cats’ place in the play-offs, with the top 16 teams qualifying for the knockout stages. Graeme Murty’s side have also qualified for next season’s International Cup after finishing inside the top 12.
The Premier League 2 play-offs are decided by where teams finish in the table, with first-place Tottenham set to play 16th-place Aston Villa, while second place West Ham will face 15th-place Blackburn. Sunderland will host Wolves, who finished 10th, on Monday (2pm).
If Sunderland beat Wolves, the young Black Cats would face either West Ham or Blackburn in the quarterfinals, which would take place between May 10-13. The final of the competition is set to be played between May 24-27.
Reaching the knockout stages is an impressive achievement for Sunderland, who were playing in Premier League 2, Division 2, before the change of format for this season’s competition.
“I think with a group of players who are playing really their first year in this competition, we have really quite a young team,” Murty said. “I think when you see us physically we’re are a little bit immature. But they are brave, they are technically good and we’ve surprised a few people.
“I think the players have surprised themselves, so now they expect a little bit more from themselves than they did previously. Playing against better opposition has helped their development and speeded it up I think.”