Sunderland managed to secure a narrow 2-1 victory against Coventry in the initial match of their Championship play-off semi-final and are now in a position to finish the job and advance to Wembley with a win at the Stadium of Light on Tuesday.
The Black Cats capitalized on a mistake in defense from Milan van Ewijk late in the game at the Coventry Building Society Arena as Eliezer Mayenda pounced on the loose ball and skillfully scored past home goalkeeper Ben Wilson to secure what may prove to be a vital win.
Coventry must now attempt to mount a comeback at the Stadium of Light, while Sunderland will try to fend off any counterattacks as they aim to continue towards a return to the Premier League for the first time since 2017.
Team news
Regis Le Bris is expected to field a similar lineup for the second leg, with Romaine Mundle, Aji Alese, Ian Poveda, and Jayden Danns still sidelined for the home team heading into Tuesday's showdown.
Coventry manager Frank Lampard must decide whether to stick with Brandon Thomas-Asante upfront after his recall for the first leg, with Ellis Simms also hoping to be in contention for a starting spot.
Norman Bassette, Oliver Dovin, and Victor Torp are all likely to be absent for the second leg for the Sky Blues due to injuries.
The stats
Sunderland finished fourth in the standings, seven points ahead of fifth-placed Coventry.
In the regular season encounters between the two teams, they played to a 2-2 draw at Sunderland in November, where the Black Cats led 2-0 at halftime, while Coventry secured a 3-0 victory at home in March.
Coventry had 14 attempts in the first leg, compared to Sunderland's 10, but both teams managed three shots on target on Friday.
Sunderland ended the regular season on a poor note, losing their last five league matches.
Coventry had an inconsistent finish to the season, winning two of their last five games, while losing two and drawing the other.
Prediction
The first leg of the semi-final on Friday could have swung either way as two evenly-matched teams faced off at the Coventry Building Society Arena.
Coventry enjoyed more possession but Sunderland matched their three shots on target, and Le Bris' team had to wait until the late stages to secure a thrilling victory.
Playing at home, Sunderland are expected to have more control over the ball than in the first leg, but Coventry will be eager to score an early goal to level the overall tie in what promises to be another tense affair.
Frank Lampard's side may still be reeling from the nature of their late defeat at home, but Sunderland should do sufficient to clinch a win at the Stadium of Light and secure their spot at Wembley.