Sunderland issue official announcement ahead of Coventry City play-off tie
Sunderland are preparing for the first leg of their playoff semi-final against Coventry City.
After almost a month of pointless Championship fixtures, the Black Cats can finally start their playoff journey.
Sunderland have been preparing for these matches many weeks, which had seen their regular-season form collapse.
However, they have a chance to finally prove to fans that their nonchalant attitude was worth it as they face Coventry on Friday.
Now, Regis Le Bris’ side have made an announcement ahead of the tie about their trip to the Coventry Building Society Arena.
Sunderland confirm away allocation has sold out for play-off trip to Coventry
Coventry will be a tricky test for Sunderland, with the Midlands side proving to be a bogey team for the Black Cats in recent years.
As it stands, the Black Cats have not beaten their playoff opposition in their last 10 meetings, with their last victory coming in League One back in 2018.
| Sunderland’s last five matches against Coventry City |
| Febuary 2023 – Coventry 2-1 Sunderland |
| August 2023 – Coventry 0-0 Sunderland |
| December 2023 – Sunderland 0-3 Coventry |
| November 2024 – Sunderland 2-2 Coventry |
| March 2025 – Coventry 3-0 Sunderland |
Many fans are therefore sceptical about the upcoming tie, especially given Sunderland’s terrible recent form.
However, this has not stopped supporters from turning up in large numbers for Friday as the Black Cats confirmed that their away allocation has already sold out.
Sunderland’s official website announced on Tuesday (6 May) that more than 2,800 tickets have been sold for the away tie, three days before the fixture is played.
Regis Le Bris needs to prove April’s risks will pay off
Ever since the playoffs were confirmed in early April, Le Bris took many risks with his team selection which resulted in zero wins.
Now, going into the Coventry match, Sunderland are hopelessly out of form as they face one of their biggest bogey sides.
A defeat will likely see Le Bris criticised for not building any momentum in the closing Championship matches. However, a victory will prove that he was right to rotate the team.
The Black Cats manager now simply must prove that he was right to take these risks and bring back a comfortable advantage to the Stadium of Light next week.