Sunderland U21 vs Newcastle U21 Prediction 18.03.2024

• Competition: England - Premier League 2
• Date: Monday, 18th, March 2024
• Kickoff: 13:00 UK / 14.00 CET
• Venue: Eppleton Colliery Welfare Ground (Sunderland)

Sunderland U21s will be hosting Newcastle U21s on Monday lunchtime, looking for a victory that will strengthen their spot in the playoff zone of the Premier League 2 table.

Sunderland U21 vs Newcastle U21 Betting Tips: BTTS

Caught in a whirlwind of results, the youthful Black Cats head into Monday's battle without a single victory in their last four straight matches of any kind, but they displayed grit and determination by holding Manchester City's talented youth squad to an electrifying 2-2 draw last time out.

Throughout those drought-stricken weeks, Sunderland U21s saw their Premier League Cup campaign come to a halt at the first knockout hurdle with an extra-time defeat of 1-2 against Nottingham Forest's youth team, meaning that SAFC can now fully focus on domestic tasks with the aim of sneak among the best 16 (out of a total of 26) at the end of the league season.

Boasting a respectable 22-point haul, a mere hair's breadth ahead of 17th-placed Blackburn U21, Graeme Murty's side is poised to reclaim their lost stride in a clash with the division's least successful outfit, though their recent home H2H record against the young Magpies have been less than satisfactory, managing just one win in their last five face-offs.

Looking from the perspective of Newcastle's junior squad, they can't escape the fact that their recent form has been abysmal because, since their slim 1-0 triumph over the mediocre Everton U21s side just before New Year's, they are still in search of their PL2 success in 2024, earning just two points in that time (D2, L4).

Despite producing solid displays in recent weeks across all tournaments, the youngsters under the guidance of Ben Dawson were sent back to their factory settings last time out, as they suffered a brutal 1-7 mauling at the hands of the attack-minded Chelsea U21s on their own turf, leaving them firmly rooted at the bottom of the Premier League 2 standings.

The leakiness at the back caused major headaches for the young Magpies, who only notched their only shutout of the term in a close 1-0 victory over the Toffees U21s, while the nets bulged on both ends in each of their ten straight away trips. Apart from that, Sunderland's defensive unit appears no more assured, boasting just a solitary clean sheet from the past eight home outings. With two defensively undisciplined sides, hopefully both nets will be rocked at the Appleton Colliery Welfare Ground.