Middlesbrough vs Sunderland – Express Sport brings you live coverage of the Tees-Wear derby.
6: GOAL!
Middlesbrough are ahead thanks to a slick move.
Stuart Downing cuts the ball to the byline for Martin Braithwaite, who fires across the face of goal for youngster Marcus Tavernier to fire past Robbin Ruiter for his first league goal.
3: CHANCE!
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HOW HAS HE MISSED THAT?!
Sunderland midfielder Didier Ndong lets fly from 30 yards, which forces Darren Randolph into a stop but the Boro keeper can only push it straight to Lewis Grabban.
The Black Cats striker has the goal at his mercy from six yards but he somehow fires wide.
A huge let off for Boro.
1: PEEP!
Middlesbrough get us underway at the Riverside after an impeccably observed performance of The Last Post.
12:10pm: We’re five minutes away from kick-off!
The players are heading out of the tunnel, but before the action gets underway we will have a minute’s silence ahead of Armistice Day.
12:00pm: Analysis from our North East Correspondent Ian Murtagh, who is at the Riverside Stadium
Desperation derbies – the North East knows all about them and a fortnight ago, this looked like another of them.
But two away wins in a row have lifted the mood on Teesside and if Boro can beat their rivals today, they’ll be in the top six.
To do that, however, they must improve on a poor recent record at the Riverside, having picked up just one point from their last three home games.
Sunderland were bottom of the table when they were last here in April. And they’re bottom of the table again seven months on only this time, it’s the Championship they are anchoring rather than the Premier League.
Managerless, winless since August and without a clean sheet this season, the Black Cats are enduring one of the worst spells in their entire history.
Whoever does take over at the Stadium of Light has a massive job on his hands, irrespective of today’s result.
11:45am: Middlesbrough skipper Grant Leadbitter has urged his team-mates to continue their charge up the table.
He said: “It’s a big game for both football clubs, in the north-east people are full of passion, we’re looking forward to it.
“The last few performances have been good. We want to press on because the season is just beginning I believe. The table is starting to take shape, and that’s when the big teams come to the fore. I expect them to come here with a number of fans and give 100 per cent.”
11:30am: Sunderland defender John O’Shea is looking forward to the challenge of facing Middlesbrough.
He said: “The mood in the camp is we need to get points on the board.
“Robbie and Billy have kept things as simple as possible. We’ve been so close to winning matches but we can’t keep going on about it.
“We need to finish off teams when we’re on top. It’ll be tough today but we’re looking forward to it. We’ve been close to four, five wins, and the change has been made.”
11:15am: LINE UPS
Middlesbrough: Randolph, Christie, Ayala, Gibson, Friend, Howson, Leadbitter, Downing, Tavernier, Braithwaite, Assombalonga
Subs: Konstantopoulos, Fabio, Shotton, Forshaw, Johnson, Traore, Fletcher
Sunderland: Ruiter, Jones, Oviedo, O’Shea, Wilson, Cattermole, Gibson, Ndong, McNair, McGeady, Grabban
Subs: Steele, Williams, Rodwell, McManaman, Matthews, Honeyman, Gooch
11:05am: Sky Sports’ Championship expert David Prutton believes we’re in for a one-sided game today.
He is predicting a 3-0 win for Middlesbrough, and said: “The Sky Bet Championship is such a tough division to call, but everything about this game would suggest this has to be a home win. Middlesbrough finally seem to have gotten their act together as they adjust to life under Garry Monk, and Sunderland are in absolute freefall.
“You feel a little for Simon Grayson, who was given an incredibly difficult job there, but the results were poor and as soon as relegation becomes a possibility in any league then the manager is in trouble.
“I think Middlesbrough will want to give their opponents a right beating on Sunday to announce they’ve really arrived this season, and I fancy them to do just that.”
10:55: It’s a big day of Sunderland caretaker bosses Billy McKinlay and Robbie Stockdale.
They’ve had less than a week to work with the Black Cats squad, who’ve shipped 30 goals in 15 games.
It’s a big ask for them to mastermind a win, but stranger things have happened.
10:45: Middlesbrough, in comparison, have barely got out of third gear this term, but they’re in the top half of the table.
A win today would see them climb into the play-off spots.
10:40: Sunderland head into the game without a permanent manager after giving Simon Grayson the boot.
Black Cats chiefs called time on Grayson’s short tenure as a result of a nightmare start to the season.
To make matters worse, they head into the game sitting bottom of the Championship table after Bolton and Burton both won yesterday.
10:30am: Welcome to Express Sport’s live coverage of the Tees-Wear derby between Middlesbrough and Sunderland.