Match Preview: Le Bris will have their first taste of an English knockout tie against Preston!

Tuesday, August 13, 2024

Preston North End v Sunderland AFC

Carabao Cup (League) First Round

Deepdale Stadium

Start: 19:45

Match Coverage

TV/Broadcast: All ties in this round will be shown live, with Sunderland’s game against Preston available on the new Sky Sports+ channel. Viewers without a proper Sky Sports contract can purchase a day pass on NOW TV. There will be no SAFC Live broadcast tonight.

Radio: Nick Barnes and Gary Bennett MBE will provide full match commentary on BBC Radio Newcastle but will not be available online or on BBC Sounds.

Online: The Roker Report X feed (@RokerReport) and the club’s official website www.safc.com will provide live updates.

The construction…

By the time the Lads kicked off what would have been an excellent season-opening win at Cardiff City at the weekend, Preston had already lost, having been beaten by Sheffield United on Friday night. The game was played at Deepdale, meaning they have now been defeated in their last three home matches.

Away form has also been poor for the Lilywhites during the 2023-24 season, with manager Ryan Lowe paying the price and leaving his post by mutual consent on Monday as a result. His opposite number Régis Le Bris, however, has made a strong start since being appointed head coach at the Stadium of Light, where last season Sunderland were knocked out at this stage of the competition by Crewe Alexandra. They have not won a League Cup knockout tie since beating Queens Park Rangers on penalties in October 2021.

It is assumed that the Frenchman will look to give some of his fringe options a chance in this latest attempt, but if involved, Alan Browne will certainly want to impress against his former club, as will Patrick Roberts, who has been in fine form in recent weeks and has provided assists in his last three appearances.

Nectar Triantis – a surprise inclusion on the Wales bench after recent injury problems – is one of those tipped to play if the starting XI is revamped.

As usual, travelling fans will be staying at the Bill Shankly Kop. Before becoming a great Liverpool manager, Shankly played in two FA Cup finals for Preston – beating Huddersfield Town in 1938, having lost a year earlier to Sunderland, who lifted the trophy for the first time after a famous 3-1 success.

Last time we met…

Monday 1 January 2024, EFL Championship, Stadium of Light

Sunderland AFC 2 – 0 Preston North End
Pritchard 10′, Rusyn 44′

2024 began in promising fashion with a comfortable win against North End on New Year’s Day – the first home win under manager Michael Beale. A superb long-range strike from Alex Pritchard and a clean finish from Nazariy Rusyn after good work from Jack Clarke confirmed the 2-0 scoreline and put the Lads temporarily back in the play-off places.

The teams have met in the League Cup at Deepdale twice before, with the hosts winning in 1974 and the teams drawing in the first round match in 1995 before Lee Howey saw the Rokerites through in the return leg.

Sunderland: Patterson; Hume, O’Nien, Ballard, Alese (Pembélé 70′); Neil, Ekwah, Jobe (Mayenda 85′); Clarke, Rusyn (Ba 76′), Pritchard (Seelt 85′). Not used: Bishop, Triantis, Rigg, Aouchiche, Burstow.

Loyalty: Portuguese Woodman; Potts, Storey, Lindsay, Hughes; Browne, Whiteman, McCann (Keane 67′), Frökjaer-Jensen (Jakobsen 79′), Millar; Evans (Osmajic 67′). Not used: Cornell, Cunningham, Best, Holmes, Ledson, Woodburn.

Audience: 42,714

He played for both…

Jimmy McNab

There have been a number of names lined up for both clubs over the years, including strikers Chris Brown, Danny Dichio and Stephen Elliott, as well as Roker Park cult heroes John Kay and Barry Siddall – although the latter was only a passing player at Preston as his career drew to a close.

Scottish midfielder Jimmy McNab made the biggest impression, arguably, winning promotion with both clubs and playing well over 200 times for each. He made his Sunderland debut in 1958 and was later awarded a belated testimonial match, the first to be staged at the Stadium of Light. He moved to Preston in 1967 and remained there for seven years.