Match Preview: Sheffield Wednesday v Sunderland - The Lads kick-off Carabao Cup campaign!

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Wednesday 10th August 2022

(L1) Sheffield Wednesday v Sunderland (CH)

League Cup

2nd Round

Hillsborough

Kick-Off: 19:45

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Tickets & Match Coverage

Tickets: Tickets are available here.

TV/Stream: Full live match coverage available via Sky Sports.

Radio: Full live match commentary available via BBC Radio Newcastle (not online)

Don’t forget to follow the blow-by-blow account of the game on the Roker Report Twitter feed (@RokerReport) and check out the player ratings after the full-time whistle at www.RokerReport.com!

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The build-up...

It’s that time again when we try and decide how much we care about getting through to the next round of the Carabao Cup. Aye, any win builds up confidence, but would we take going through at the expense of a long-term injury to someone like Ross Stewart? Nah, I didn’t think so.

We’ll take it if we go through, don’t get me wrong, but can’t say I’m that fussed. We’ve got a small squad which we can bet Alex Neil will rotate to the fullest to give players who need it a rest, and for others minutes in the legs.

The game also lands on a Wednesday, with Queens Park Rangers having played last night at Charlton Athletic giving them an extra day to prepare for our next fixture in the Championship fixture on Saturday at the Stadium of Light. The ideal scenario tonight is to win with as many fringe players as possible impressing to give Alex Neil team selection headaches and keep the run of results rolling.

Wednesday have also come out of the first two games with four points from six as they began the season with tough fixtures at home to Portsmouth and away to MK Dons, which means The Owls fans will probably be feeling the same as us about tonight’s fixture.

Photo by Ian Horrocks/Sunderland AFC via Getty Images

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The betting...

The early rounds of the Carabao Cup are always difficult to predict with managers taking the chance to give certain players a rest, but the bookies favour a home win at 7/5, with a Sunderland priced at 19/10 and the draw at 23/10.

In terms of a correct score, a 1-1 draw is the shortest odds at 5/1, followed by 8/1 for a 1-0 home win, with a 1-0 away victory at 9/1.

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Head to head... at Hillsborough

(All competitions)

• Sunderland wins: 16
• Draws: 18
• Sheffield Wednesday wins: 30
• Sunderland goals: 72
• Sheffield Wednesday goals: 120

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Looking back...

Wednesday 12th September 2001

League Cup - 2nd Round

Hillsborough

Sheffield Wednesday 4-2 Sunderland (aet)

[Ekoku 30’, Morrison (pen) 45’, Di Piedi 92’, Bonvin 105’ - Phillips 45’, Laslandes 75’]

Sunderland: Ingham, Williams (Haas), Varga, McCartney, Gray, Kilbane, McCann, Thirlwell, Arca (Kyle), Bellion (Laslandes), Phillips Substitutes not used: Kennedy, Lumsdon

Sheffield Wednesday: Pressman, Haslam, Bromby, Egil Soltvedt, Westwood, Maddix, Quinn, McLaren, Ekoku (Bonvin), Johnson (Hamshaw), Morrison (Di Piedi) Substitutes not used: Stringer, Lescott

Attendance: 12,074

Getty Images

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Played for both...

Aiden McGeady

Now plying his trade up in Scotland for Hibernian under our former manager Lee Johnson, McGeady had a loan spell on loan at Hillsborough back in 2016 when he joined from Everton.

His three years at Goodison followed breaking through at Celtic and four years at Spartak Moscow, before he joined the lads from Everton permanently in 2017.

Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images

Ian Porterfield

Signed from Raith Rovers for a mere £45,000 in 1967, it’s fair to say Ian McColl picked up a bargain.

Ten years, 269 appearances, 19 goals, one FA Cup winners medal and one winning FA Cup final goal later, and Porterfield will forever remain a legend.

Porterfield left to sign for Wednesday in 1977 and spent two years at Hillsborough before moving into management with Rotherham United.

Photo by Peter Robinson/EMPICS via Getty Images

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