Whether the two teams involved are battling for the league title, fighting for a European football spot, or squaring off to avoid the drop, a derby clash always has a special meaning for the two sides and their respective fans. And this Sunday, there will be plenty of derby games taking place across Europe. There is the Derby della Mole between Juventus and Torino and the Manchester Derby featuring, of course, Manchester City and Manchester United.
And there will be another one - the Tyne-Wear Derby. Whilst this match between Newcastle United and Sunderland will not have the glitz and glamor of the mouthwatering tie starring Manchester United and Manchester City, this clash, also known as the the North East Derby, still has plenty of special meaning for Newcastle and Sunderland supporters. And given that one of these sides will be featuring in the Championship next season, this will be more than just a regular three-point clash between the Magpies and Black Cats.
Newcastle United
Rafa Benitez's first game in charge at Newcastle United did not go as planned, as the team slumped to a fourth consecutive win in their match against Leicester City this past Monday. It was the 17th overall loss for the Magpies and given that they are presently in 19th place, time is running out for them to quickly turn their fortunes around if they want to even have any chance at avoiding playing football in the Championship for the 2016/2017 season.
If things will be tense between Newcastle and Sunderland due to their long-standing rivalry, things will not be so peachy between their managers, either. Benitez and Sunderland coach Sam Allardyce are no fans of each other, and do not expect the two men to be sitting down for a cup of coffee any time soon. Back when the Spaniard was in charge of Liverpool, and then Chelsea, Allardyce - who also once managed Newcastle - famously clashed with his tacticial opponent whilst he was at the helm of Bolton, West Ham, and Blackburn and expect that old personal rivalry to be renewed again on Sunday afternoon.
Unfortunately, Newcastle has had poor run of form when it comes to taking on their derby rivals as of late, with six straight defeats against Sunderland, whilst conceding a whopping 13 goals and scoring just once. If one wants to count a recent friendly clash that took place on January 27th, this number rises to seven losses for the Magpies after the Black Cats demolished them 6-0 at the Stadium of Light, which is highly discouraging indeed for a team who are hoping to avoid losing a fifth straight league match this Sunday.
However, there may be some reason for hope, especially with Benitez on the bench: the Spaniard, who has coached Inter, Napoli, Valencia, and Real Madrid in addition to the aforementioned Liverpool and Chelsea has a good record in his opening home games. How good? Well, he has won five and drawn one whilst at the helm of those six clubs, and will be hoping to maintain that unbeaten streak against Sunderland tomorrow afternoon.
Benitez could also be welcoming back some key figures from injury, with captain Fabricio Coloccini, Papiss Cisse, and Chancel Mbemba all possibly returning to the fold, but it will be interesting to see which - or if any - of these three men will be thrown back into action for Sunday's derby game.
Sunderland
Meanwhile, Allardcye's Sunderland presently sit in 17th place, but are only out of the relegation zone due to a better goal difference than Norwich City. Like Newcastle, the visitors have found wins hard to come by, with just one win in their last five games - a 2-1 victory over Manchester United back on February 13th.
Sunderland will face some tough matches ahead in their final matches of this season, with Arsenal, Leicester City, and Chelsea coming up on the agenda between now and May. As such, they will be hoping to make it seven straight competitive wins against their derby rivals to put some distance between themselves and the bottom three.
The Black Cats will be relying on the expertise of veteran striker Jermain Defoe, who has quite a knack for scoring, especially on the road, with seven goals in his past eight away matches. And finally, as noted before, Allardyce himself will have his own personal score to settle with familiar tacticial rival Benitez. Out of their past twelve meetings, he has won just three, whilst losing seven and drawing two.
Which channel is broadcasting Newcastle United vs Sunderland on TV or Online?
The Tyne-Wear Derby is one of the oldest ones in European football, dating back to 1883, with the first competitive meeting taking place in an 1888 FA Cup match that finished as a 2-1 win for Sunderland. Given the long and bitter rivalry between Newcastle United and Sunderland, St. James' Park is going to be buzzing with loyal Magpies and Black Cats supporters eager to see their respective teams pick up a much needed three points in Sunday afternoon's derby clash.
As in the case with any derby, it will indeed be a lively atmosphere. However, if you are too far away to make it to St. James' Park, no problem. LiveSoccerTV.com has put together plenty of options to catch the match via your TV, computer, phone, or tablet.
Here are some options for fans residing elsewhere in the UK and in the following countries:
- In the USA at 9.30 EST on: NBC Sports Live Extra, NBCSN, NBC UNIVERSO, SiriusXM FC, NBC Deportes En Vivo Extra, Westwood One Sports
- In the UK at 13.30 GMT on: Sky Go UK, Sky Sports 1/HD UK, SKY GO Extra
- In Canada at 9.30 ET on: Sportsnet World Now, Sportsnet One
Live elsewhere? Check out our special Newcastle United vs Sunderland broadcast page for viewing times and options for your current location.
*Note: Live broadcast data is subject to change*
Match details, result and original broadcast info
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