Sunderland under-23s begin their 2017-18 Premier League International Cup venture on Wearside tonight, KO 7pm.
German side Hertha Berlin provide the Black Cats with their opening challenge – here’s your all you need to know guide…
A YEAR TO REMEMBER
The last time Sunderland’s young guns walked out at the Stadium of Light, they were greeted by an emphatic 18,000 fans who turned up to show their support in the International Cup final against Porto. While the Portuguese giants produced a well-oiled display to lift the trophy, the Black Cats were left to lick their wounds and reflect on a memorable trip to the final. Defeating heavyweights Benfica and PSV Eindhoven in their group, victory over Athletic Club set-up a last four clash at Norwich City, and Joel Asoro applied the match-winning strike to send Sunderland into their first EVER European final.
TEAM NEWS
Elliott Dickman will once again be forced to shuffle his pack, with a number of youngsters away on international duty. Elliot Embleton scored for England under-19s against Slovakia last night so won’t feature while Joel Asoro is away with Sweden under-21s for their match against Malta tonight. Paddy McNair could make his long-awaited return from injury, featuring for the first time in nine months. Duncan Watmore could also be handed more minutes as he continues to ramp up his recovery from a similar lay-off.
THE OLD LADY
Nicknamed Die Alte Dame, which means ‘The Old Lady’ in English, Hertha Berlin travel to Wearside looking to notch their first points of the season in the International Cup. With two wins in their previous seven matches, Hertha Berlin will take heart from their last match which saw them defeat Budissa Bautzen 3-1. However, the German club have conceded six goals in their last three matches, and that will give Dickman’s side confidence that they can get their campaign off to a winning start.
GROUP B
The Foxes currently sit top of the group, having defeated tonight’s opponents Hertha Berlin 3-0 in September. Polish side Legia Warsaw also feature in the group, and they will be Sunderland’s next opponents at Eppleton Colliery Welfare in November. The Black Cats will round off their group campaign against Leicester City at the start of December.
TICKETS
Tickets for the game are priced at £3 for adults and just £1 for over-65s and under-16s. Turnstiles 1-8 and 17-24, located in the west stand, will be open from 6pm on the night of the game and car parking is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Supporters are reminded that unlike under 23 league games, there is no free entry for season card holders to this game due to competition rules.
FOLLOW THE ACTION
If you’re unable to attend the game we have comprehensive coverage of all the action as it happens across our digital channels, with the match set to be streamed on our official Facebook page.
