Alex Neil has named the same starting XI that beat Sheffield Wednesday in the first leg for the second leg this evening at Hillsborough. There were hopes that Nathan Broadhead would return to the team but he has been deemed only fit enough to make the bench.
Ross Stewart's goal on the stroke of half time at the Stadium of Light was the difference between the two League One sides and handed the Black Cats a vital advantage heading to South Yorkshire. Neil will be hoping for a repeat performance as his side were thoroughly dominant for the majority of Friday evening's game.
Although, he will be fully aware of Wednesday's home record as Darren Moore's side picked up more points at home than anyone else in the third tier throughout the season. Sunderland will be have to be at their very best to hold onto their one-goal advantage in the knowledge they were beaten 3-0 at Hillsborough back in November.
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A lot has changed since then and there is much more optimism within the fanbase on Wearside, especially on the back of such a promising first-leg performance. The only frustration was that the players in red and white were unable to add to the 1-0 scoreline but an early goal this evening will soon banish any lingering worries about that.
On the back of that performance, it would have been hard for Neil to consider making any changes to the winning team. Here is how a selection of Sunderland reacted to the team news on social media with the inclusion of Broadhead on the bench a big talking point.
