Omer Riza has identified one potential weakness in Regis Le Bris’ Sunderland side.
Sunderland will welcome Cardiff City this weekend to the Stadium of Light, where the Black Cats will hope to notch a second successive victory after the win against Sheffield Wednesday.
Regis Le Bris’ side will go into the tie with several injury issues to deal with. Sunderland winger Enzo Le Fee is injured after coming off against Hull City at half-time, whilst Dan Ballard is also out for an extended period after a knee injury.
Coming up against a side currently sat 21st in the Championship, with one win in their last six league games, including being on the receiving end of a 7-0 obliteration against Leeds United, Sunderland should be looking to sweep aside their opposition.
However, Cardiff City boss Omer Riza has highlighted one glimmer of hope his side has of coming away with a result on Wearside.
Sunderland weakness identified as Cardiff City boss Omer Riza outlines how to ‘break their spirit’
Initially, Bluebirds boss Riza was full of praise for Le Bris’ side, who currently sit 4th in the Championship, eight points off Sheffield United in 2nd place.
In his pre-match press conference, Riza said: “They’re a good young side. They’ve got one player there that I’ve worked with at England as well, Jobe Bellingham, who’s doing really well this year. Their whole team’s quite young, they’re energetic, they’re quite robust considering their ages, they play good football, defensively solid. It’ll be a tough game, they’re up there, and it’d be a tough game for us.”
However, the Cardiff coach has some reservations about Sunderland, particularly in regards to their recent form at the Stadium of Light.
“Sunderland haven’t won in their last five games at home but like I said they’re obviously deservedly up there, they’re winning games, and we have to go there and break that spirit.”
In Sunderland’s last five games at home in all competitions, they have been handed one win, in the victory against Luton Town, whilst also being handed draws against Watford and Plymouth Argyle, as well as defeats to Hull City and Stoke City, the latter falling in the FA Cup.
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Regis Le Bris can make bold selection choice to end poor home form
It is clear that in Sunderland’s last five home games, which have seen just one victory, the Black Cats have struggled to create several chances in the final third.
In particular, French forward Wilson Isidor has had a tendency of being isolated up front by himself because of Sunderland’s overly defensive shape when facing off against less sides, as was the case in the defeat to Hull City.
However, last time out Eliezer Mayenda bagged a brace for Sunderland in their trip to Sheffield Wednesday, a performance that surely makes him undroppable, but Le Bris will surely not be keen to keep Isidor on the bench. As a result, he could start both up top to prioritise attacking threat in his side, something that will surely turn Sunderland’s fortunes on home soil.