Follow live coverage as Sunderland face Portsmouth in the Championship today.
An increasingly competitive second tier in English football remains an intense and exciting competition, with the prize of a place in the Premier League on offer at the end of the season.
Relegation from the top flight last term means Luton, Burnley and Sheffield United are all back in the second tier this term and will be expected to push for play-off spots again at least, but so too will Norwich City, an improving Coventry and beaten play-off finalists Leeds United. At the other end of the table, Wayne Rooney is aiming to revive Plymouth’s fortunes after they narrowly avoided relegation last year, with Portsmouth and Derby the teams promoted from League One along with play-off final winners Oxford.
Follow live updates from today’s game in the live blog below.
Sunderland AFC 1 - 0 Portsmouth FC
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
16:56Match ends, Sunderland 1, Portsmouth 0.
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
16:55Second Half ends, Sunderland 1, Portsmouth 0.
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
16:54Foul by Milan Aleksic (Sunderland).
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
16:53Substitution, Sunderland. Nazariy Rusyn replaces Eliezer Mayenda.
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
16:52Chris Mepham (Sunderland) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
16:52Foul by Chris Mepham (Sunderland).
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
16:52Attempt blocked. Eliezer Mayenda (Sunderland) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Milan Aleksic.
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
16:50Fourth official has announced 4 minutes of added time.
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
16:50Attempt saved. Owen Moxon (Portsmouth) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Terry Devlin.
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
16:48Attempt blocked. Colby Bishop (Portsmouth) header from the centre of the box is blocked.
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
16:47Offside, Sunderland. Dennis Cirkin is caught offside.
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
16:47Substitution, Portsmouth. Owen Moxon replaces Freddie Potts.
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
16:47Substitution, Portsmouth. Christian Saydee replaces Andre Dozzell.
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
16:45Trai Hume (Sunderland) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
16:45Attempt blocked. Eliezer Mayenda (Sunderland) left footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked.
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
16:44Attempt saved. Trai Hume (Sunderland) left footed shot from the right side of the box is saved.
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
16:41Attempt missed. Luke O'Nien (Sunderland) left footed shot from outside the box.
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
16:41Substitution, Sunderland. Milan Aleksic replaces Adil Aouchiche.
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
16:38Corner, Sunderland. Conceded by Freddie Potts.
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
16:38Corner, Sunderland. Conceded by Colby Bishop.
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
16:36Attempt blocked. Adil Aouchiche (Sunderland) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked.
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
16:36Corner, Sunderland. Conceded by Andre Dozzell.
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
16:36Attempt blocked. Patrick Roberts (Sunderland) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Chris Mepham.
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
16:36Dan Neil (Sunderland) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
16:35Foul by Adil Aouchiche (Sunderland).
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
16:35Attempt blocked. Eliezer Mayenda (Sunderland) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Trai Hume.
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
16:35Attempt blocked. Jobe Bellingham (Sunderland) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
16:32Corner, Sunderland. Conceded by Andre Dozzell.
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
16:34Offside, Sunderland. Adil Aouchiche is caught offside.
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
16:30Attempt saved. Adil Aouchiche (Sunderland) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top right corner.
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
16:30Substitution, Portsmouth. Rob Atkinson replaces Paddy Lane.
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
16:30Substitution, Portsmouth. Terry Devlin replaces Zak Swanson.
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
16:26Marlon Pack (Portsmouth) is shown the red card.
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
16:26Wilson Isidor (Sunderland) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
16:25Attempt missed. Wilson Isidor (Sunderland) right footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high. Assisted by Patrick Roberts.
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
16:25Attempt missed. Luke O'Nien (Sunderland) right footed shot from outside the box is too high following a set piece situation.
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
16:25Attempt blocked. Jobe Bellingham (Sunderland) left footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Trai Hume.
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
16:24Zak Swanson (Portsmouth) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
16:24Adil Aouchiche (Sunderland) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
16:21Corner, Sunderland. Conceded by Andre Dozzell.
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
16:24Attempt blocked. Patrick Roberts (Sunderland) left footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked.
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
16:24Attempt blocked. Adil Aouchiche (Sunderland) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Jobe Bellingham.
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
16:19Attempt saved. Patrick Roberts (Sunderland) left footed shot from outside the box is saved.
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
16:19Attempt missed. Wilson Isidor (Sunderland) right footed shot from the centre of the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Dennis Cirkin.
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
16:19Ryley Towler (Portsmouth) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
16:19Anthony Patterson (Sunderland) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
16:17Foul by Patrick Roberts (Sunderland).
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
16:16Corner, Portsmouth. Conceded by Patrick Roberts.
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
16:11Attempt missed. Luke O'Nien (Sunderland) left footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the left following a corner.
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
16:11Corner, Sunderland. Conceded by Ryley Towler.
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
16:10Jobe Bellingham (Sunderland) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
16:08Attempt missed. Colby Bishop (Portsmouth) header from the centre of the box.
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
16:06Dan Neil (Sunderland) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
16:05Second Half begins Sunderland 1, Portsmouth 0.
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
16:05Substitution, Sunderland. Dennis Cirkin replaces Aji Alese.
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
15:48First Half ends, Sunderland 1, Portsmouth 0.
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
15:48Hand ball by Callum Lang (Portsmouth).
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
15:47Fourth official has announced 2 minutes of added time.
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
15:47Attempt missed. Eliezer Mayenda (Sunderland) right footed shot from the right side of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Wilson Isidor.
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
15:44Patrick Roberts (Sunderland) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
15:44Offside, Sunderland. Wilson Isidor is caught offside.
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
15:40Foul by Aji Alese (Sunderland).
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
15:40Attempt missed. Josh Murphy (Portsmouth) right footed shot from the centre of the box is too high.
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
15:38Foul by Dan Neil (Sunderland).
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
15:36Attempt saved. Adil Aouchiche (Sunderland) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved.
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
15:33Corner, Sunderland. Conceded by Nicolas Schmid.
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
15:34Attempt saved. Adil Aouchiche (Sunderland) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Dan Neil.
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
15:29Corner, Portsmouth. Conceded by Luke O'Nien.
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
15:22Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
15:21Delay in match because of an injury Callum Lang (Portsmouth).
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
15:21Foul by Aji Alese (Sunderland).
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
15:21Callum Lang (Portsmouth) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
15:20Attempt missed. Dan Neil (Sunderland) right footed shot from outside the box is too high.
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
15:20Attempt blocked. Patrick Roberts (Sunderland) left footed shot from the right side of the six yard box is blocked.
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
15:20Foul by Dan Neil (Sunderland).
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
15:17Attempt blocked. Callum Lang (Portsmouth) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
15:15Corner, Portsmouth. Conceded by Chris Mepham.
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
15:14Corner, Sunderland. Conceded by Zak Swanson.
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
15:12Attempt missed. Josh Murphy (Portsmouth) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Assisted by Freddie Potts following a set piece situation.
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
15:12Foul by Trai Hume (Sunderland).
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
15:08Goal! Sunderland 1, Portsmouth 0. Wilson Isidor (Sunderland) right footed shot from outside the box following a fast break.
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
15:07Attempt missed. Patrick Roberts (Sunderland) right footed shot from the right side of the box.
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
15:07Foul by Andre Dozzell (Portsmouth).
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
15:01First Half begins.
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
14:30Lineups are announced and players are warming up.
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
13:00Follow live football coverage with The Independent today.
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