Leeds United and Burnley have earned a promotion to the Premier League. However, the third spot is still open. The teams that finished third to sixth on the Championship table have entered the playoffs. The four teams – Coventry, Sunderland, Sheffield United, and Bristol City – will play 2-leg semifinal matches to claim the spot.
Coventry will host Sunderland for the first leg of the semifinal on Friday, 9th May, at 8:00 PM (UK time) at the Coventry Building Society Arena.
Which team will progress to the playoff finals? Below, we give you team previews, head-to-head stats, and odds for the Championship playoffs – Coventry vs Sunderland match.
Where to Watch the Championship Playoffs Live
Fans in the United Kingdom can catch the action on Sky Sports.
Key Details
- Day and Date: Friday, 9th May 2025
- Time: 8:00 PM (UK time)
- Venue: Coventry Building Society Arena
- Where to watch in the UK: Sky Sports
Match Preview and Head-to-Head History
Sunderland and Coventry City faced each other twice this season. The first match ended in a 2–2 draw in November. Sunderland struck twice in the first half – forward Wilson Isidor scored at 16 minutes while defender Dennis Cirkin netted the ball at 35. Coventry responded with two goals – first by striker Haji Wright in the 62nd minute followed by midfielder Jack Rudoni’s 84th minute equalizer.
Their second meeting was in March, where Coventry City secured a commanding 3–0 victory over Sunderland. Striker Haji Wright hit hat-trick goals for the winning team.
A win is crucial for both teams to secure a seat in the finals, so Friday’s match promises plenty of action!
Head-to-Head Record
The two teams have faced each other 10 times in the last 10 years. Coventry won five matches, five ended in a draw, and Sunderland didn’t win any matches in this fixture.
Recent head-to-head matches:
- Coventry 3–0 Sunderland (15 March 2025, Championship)
- Sunderland 2–2 Coventry (09 November 2024, Championship)
- Sunderland 0–3 Coventry (23 December 2023, Championship)
- Coventry 0–0 Sunderland (26 August 2023, Championship)
- Coventry 2–1 Sunderland (25 February 2023, Championship)
- Sunderland 1–1 Coventry (31 August 2022, Championship)
- Coventry 1–0 Sunderland (1 March 2020, League One)
- Sunderland 1–1 Coventry (23 November 2019, League One)
- Sunderland 4–5 Coventry (13 April 2019, League One)
- Coventry 1–1 Sunderland (29 September 2018, League One)
While Coventry has historically dominated this fixture, Sunderland is in excellent form and has finished higher than Coventry on the Championship table. So, punters should be prepared for a close match.
Coventry City: Analysis, Team Preview, and Lineup
Frank Lampard, former manager of Chelsea and Everton, took over the Coventry City team in November. Under his leadership, Coventry finished fifth in the Championship with 20 wins and nine draws. This was a vast improvement from their last season’s ninth-place finish.
Key players for the team include strikers Haji Wright (12 goals, 1 assist), Ellis Simms (6 goals, 2 assists), and midfielder Jack Rudoni (9 goals, 12 assists). Goalkeepers Oliver Dovin and Brad Collins have together kept 11 clean sheets for Coventry.
The team scored 64 goals and conceded 58, resulting in a +6 goal difference.
Aggregate Record
- FA Cup: 1 title
- League One: 1 title
- EFL: 1 title
- Championship: 1 title
Squad
- Goalkeepers: Oliver Dovin, Brad Collins, Ben Wilson
- Defenders: Bobby Craig Thomas (5 goals), Milan Van Ewijk (2 goals, 2 assists), Joel Latibeaudiere, Jake Bidwell (1 goal, 1 assist), Liam Kitching (1 assist), Jay Dasilva (1 assist), Luis Binks (1 assist), Jack Stephen Burroughs, Harvey Broad, Callum Perry, Greg Sandiford
- Midfielders: Matt Grimes (2 goals, 1 assist), Jack Rudoni (9 goals, 12 assists), Josh Eccles (3 goals, 3 assists), Victor Torp (6 goals, 4 assists), Tatsuhiro Sakamoto (4 goals, 6 assists), Ben Sheaf (2 assists), Jamie Allen, Jamie Paterson (1 goal), Ryan Howley
- Strikers: Haji Wright (12 goals, 1 assist), Ellis Simms (6 goals, 2 assists), Ephron Mason-Clark (5 goals, 5 assists), Brandon Thomas-Asante (4 goals, 3 assists), Norman Bassette (2 goals), Raphael Borges Rodrigues
2025 Transfers
Players In
- Left midfielder Jamie Paterson signed as a free agent
- Defensive midfielder Matthew Grimes transferred from Swansea City
Players Out
- Forward Aidan Dausch, loaned to St. Albans City
- Forward Fábio Tavares, loaned to Burton Albion
Injuries Update
- Victor Torp: Sprained ankle, ruled out till mid-May 2025
- Oliver Dovin: Cruciate ligament injury; ruled out till December 2025
- Norman Bassette: Hip injury, ruled out till late-May 2025
- E. Mason-Clark: Foot injury, ruled out till mid-May 2025
Sunderland: Team Analysis and Preview
The Black Cats, as team Sunderland is popularly known, finished fourth in the Championship with 76 points. Their new coach, Régis Le Bris, who joined in July 2024, spearheaded the team to 21 wins and 13 draws.
Strikers Eliezer Mayenda (8 goals, 5 assists), Romaine Mundle (5 goals, 2 assists), and Wilson Isidor (12 goals, 2 assists) lead the team in maximum goals. 19-year-old midfielder Jobe Bellingham contributed 4 goals and 3 assists, which earned him the EFL Championship Young Player of the Season award and a spot in the Team of the Season.
The team scored 58 goals and conceded 44, resulting in a +14 goal difference.
Aggregate Record
- Premier League: 6 titles
- FA Cup: 2 titles
- Championship: 1 title
- EFL Trophy: 1 title
Squad
- Goalkeepers: Anthony Patterson, Blondy Nna Noukeu, Simon Moore, Tom Watson
- Defenders: Niall Huggins, Dennis Cirkin (3 goals, 2 assists), Danny Ballard (2 goals, 1 assist), Jenson Seelt, Chris Mepham (1 goal), Trai Hume (3 goals, 6 assists), Leo Fuhr Hjelde (1 assist), Ajibola Alese, Joseph Anderson, Thomas Lavery, Oliver Bainbridge
- Midfielders: Daniel Neil (2 goals, 3 assists), Jobe Bellingham (4 goals, 3 assists), Alan Browne (1 goal), Patrick Roberts (2 goals, 7 assists), Chris Rigg (4 goals, 1 assist), Luke O’Nien (3 goals, 1 assist), Salis Abdul Samed, Enzo Le Fée (1 goals, 1 assist), Harrison Jones, Ben Middlemas
- Forwards: Eliezer Mayenda (8 goals, 5 assists), Romaine Mundle (5 goals, 2 assists), Wilson Isidor (12 goals, 2 assists), Jayden Danns, Ahmed Abdullahi, Milan Aleksic, Ian Poveda-Ocampo, Trey Ogunsuyi, Tymur Tutierov
2025 Transactions
Players In
- Jayden Danns, on loan from Liverpool U21
- W. Isidor, transferred from Zenit
- Enzo Le Fée, on loan from Roma
Players Out
- A. Aouchiche, on loan to Portsmouth
- N. Rusyn, on loan to HNK Hajduk Split
- A. Connolly, transferred to Millwall
- Nathan Bishop, on loan to Cambridge United
- Abdoullah Ba, on loan to Dunkerque
- Tom Watson, transferred to Brighton & Hove Albion
- J. Bennette, transferred to LNZ Cherkasy
Injuries Update
- R. Mundle: Hamstring injury, ruled out till mid-May 2025
- Ian Poveda: Leg injury, ruled out till mid-May 2025
- Jayden Danns: Back injury, ruled out till mid-May 2025
- A. Alese: Broken leg, ruled out till mid-May 2025
- Niall Huggins: Groin injury, return date unknown
EFL Championship: Season Highlights
| Coventry City | Stats | Sunderland AFC |
| 5 | League position | 4 |
| 20 | Matches Won | 21 |
| 9 | Drawn | 13 |
| 17 | Lost | 12 |
| 69 | Total points | 76 |
| 64 | Goals scored | 58 |
| 58 | Goals conceded | 44 |
| 6 | Goal difference | 14 |
| 1.4 | Average goals per match | 1.26 |
| 1.2 | Average goals conceded per match | 0.95 |
| 13 | Clean sheets | 17 |
Coventry City: Home and Away Form in the EFL Championship
Home Matches:
- Won against Middlesbrough 2–0 (3rd May 2025)
- Won against West Bromwich 2–0 (18 April 2025)
- Won against Portsmouth 1–0 (10 April 2025)
- Lost to Burnley 1–2 (5 April 2025)
- Won against Sunderland 3–0 (15 March 2025)
Away Matches:
- Lost to Luton Town 0–1 (26 April 2025)
- Lost to Plymouth 1–3 (21 April 2025)
- Draw with Hull City 1–1 (15 April 2025)
- Lost to Sheffield United 1–3 (29 March 2025)
- Lost to Derby County 0–2 (12 March 2025)
Sunderland AFC: Home and Away Form in the EFL Championship
Home Matches:
- Lost to QPR 0–1 (3rd May 2025)
- Lost to Blackburn Rovers 0–1 (21 April 2025)
- Lost to Swansea 0–1 (12 April 2025)
- Won against Millwall 1–0 (29 March 2025)
- Draw with Preston 1–1 (12 March 2025)
Away Matches:
- Lost to Oxford United 0–2 (26 April 2025)
- Lost to Bristol City 1–2 (18 April 2025)
- Draw with Norwich City 0–0 (9 April 2025)
- Won against West Bromwich 1–0 (5th April 2025)
- Lost to Coventry 0–3 (15 March 2025)
Coventry City vs Sunderland AFC: Odds as per 7bet
1×2 Odds
| Coventry City (1) | x | Sunderland AFC (2) |
| 6/5 | 2/1 | 13/5 |
Both Teams to Score
| Yes | No |
| 21/20 | 20/29 |
Total
| Over 2.5 Goals | Under 2.5 Goals |
| 7/5 | 10/19 |
Please note that the odds are accurate as per the publishing time of the article. Make sure to check the latest odds before placing a bet.
Want to follow every goal, card, and corner as it happens? Head over to our 7bet Championship betting page, where we track all the main facts of the match in real time.
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