Expect a low-scoring affair between Newcastle and Sunderland

Paolo Di Canio promised attacking football when he was installed as Sunderland manager – but it looks as though he’ll have to wait until next season before he can deliver on that.

There were plenty of encouraging signs during his first game in charge against Chelsea but a lack of creativity and imagination in the final third was cripplingly obvious.

Sunderland have struggled to find the net all season and have the fourth worst attacking record in the English top tier, averaging 1.06 goals per game.

They have scored more than one goal just once in their previous nine Premier League games and are currently on a four-game losing streak away from the Stadium of Light.

While all that sounds like great news for Newcastle United, the Magpies haven’t exactly been firing them in either.

The departure of Demba Ba in January hardly helped in the goal-getting stakes and they too have averaged less than one goal per game in the league this season.

And there’s yet more evidence to point to this being a low-scoring clash – just two of the previous nine meetings between the North East rivals has seen more than 2.5 goals scored and three of their last four encounters have ended 1-1.

With Newcastle not safe from the drop yet and Sunderland fighting for their lives, this promises to be another tight and tentative affair.

Backing under 2.5 goals looks a very good bet at 3/4, while backing another derby game to finish 1-1 is available at 6/1.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.