Sunderland v Luton Town

Both meetings between Sunderland and Luton Town in the Championship this season have ended 1-1, with the Hatters taking the lead in both games.
Sunderland are unbeaten in their last 18 home games against Luton in all competitions (W12 D6) since losing 1-0 in September 1973 in a second tier meeting at Roker Park.
Luton Town are featuring in their fourth EFL play-off campaign – they have failed to win promotion from any of their previous three, going out in the semi-finals each time: 1996-97 in the third tier, 2016-17 in League Two, 2021-22 in the Championship.
This is Sunderland’s eighth EFL play-off campaign, and fourth in the last five seasons, also taking part in the League One play-offs in 2018-19, 2020-21 and 2021-22. At this level, it is their first play-off campaign since 2003-04, losing in the semi-finals to Crystal Palace.
Only Portsmouth (8) have played more games in the Football League play-offs without winning a single game than Luton Town (6 – D3 L3). The Hatters have also lost all three away games in the play-offs.
Sunderland reached the Championship play-offs despite only earning 69 points this season, the first time a team has reached the Championship play-offs despite earning fewer than 70 points since Leicester in 2012-13 (68). The Black Cats only spent 51 days in the top-six this season, seven fewer than relegated Reading did (58).
No player had more assists in the Championship this season than Sunderland’s Jack Clarke (11), while only Coventry’s Viktor Gyökeres (84) created more chances in open play than Clarke (69). He did, however, top the charts outright for chances created following a ball carry (41) and assists following a ball carry (6).
Carlton Morris was directly involved in 27 Championship goals in 2022-23 for Luton (20 goals, 7 assists), with only Coventry’s Viktor Gyökeres (31) and Middlesbrough’s Chuba Akpom (30) involved in more. His 20 league goals are the most by a Hatters player in a season since 2018-19 (James Collins, 25).

Coventry City v Middlesbrough

Coventry have won four of their last five home games against Middlesbrough (L1), all in the Championship, with the Sky Blues winning 1-0 this season with a goal from Viktor Gyökeres.
The away team has won just one of the last 16 meetings between Coventry and Middlesbrough in all competitions, a 2-1 win for Middlesbrough in March 2021 when they were managed by Neil Warnock.
This is Middlesbrough’s fifth Football League play-off campaign, with all of their previous four coming at this level. After winning promotion in their first in 1987-88, they haven’t won promotion via this method on any of the other three occasions, in 1990-91, 2014-15 and 2017-18.
Coventry City have only featured in the Football League play-offs on one previous occasion, winning the 2017-18 League Two play-offs via eliminating Notts County in the semi-final and Exeter City in the final at Wembley.
The team finishing fourth in the Championship has won promotion via the play-offs in four of the last nine seasons, including two of the last three (Fulham in 2019-20, Nottingham Forest in 2021-22).
Middlesbrough scored 84 league goals this season, their most in a season since 1966-67 (87 in the third tier). 65 of those goals have been scored since Michael Carrick’s first game in October, eight more than any other side has scored in the Championship since then.
Coventry’s Viktor Gyökeres was involved in more goals than any other Championship player this season (21 goals, 10 assists). He also ranks in the top-five for shots attempted (137, 2^nd), shots on target (58, 2^nd), chances created (85, 5^th) and touches in the opposition box (350, 1^st). His 350 touches in the opposition box is the second-most on record (since 2013-14) by a player in a regular Championship season, behind only Callum Wilson in 2014-15 (385).
Since his first start for Middlesbrough in January, no player has been involved in more Championship goals than Cameron Archer (17 – 11 goals and 6 assists – level with Viktor Gyökeres). Archer’s 11 goals have come from just 16 shots on target, scoring with 69% of his on-target attempts for the club.

Sky Bet Championship Play-Off Semi-Final: First leg stat pack

Sky Bet Championship Play-Off Semi-Final: First leg stat pack