Middlesbrough had a great win against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light last season, cruising to a 4-0 victory following the hosts going down to 10 men just before half-time.
The north-east teams drew 1-1 in the following game at the Riverside Stadium, with Sunderland looking confident after winning four out of their first five matches in the 2024-25 season.
Boro, on the other hand, have had a slower start despite a 2-0 win at Cardiff in their recent away match.
Team news
Sunderland's defender Dan Ballard is uncertain for the upcoming game due to a foot injury picked up last week.
Aji Alese and Jenson Seelt are out, potentially giving Chris Mepham a chance to make his debut. Ahmed Abdullahi is recovering from surgery, while the conditions of Ian Poveda and Salis Abdul Samed are being monitored.
Middlesbrough's Marcus Forss is back training but unlikely to play on Saturday. Rav van den Berg and Jonny Howson's availability is also doubtful.
The stats
Sunderland have won four of their first five Championship matches this season.
In Sunderland's last seven home league matches, there has been a clean sheet for one or both teams.
Sunderland has scored the opening goal in all five league games this season.
Middlesbrough has not been leading at half-time in any of their last six league and cup matches.
Boro has managed just one clean sheet in their last six Championship away games.
All eight goals in the previous three meetings between these teams were scored in the second half.
Prediction
People often say form goes out the window in derby games, but this may not be the case for Sunderland's Championship match against Middlesbrough this weekend.
The Black Cats won their first four games of the season, including a 4-0 victory against Sheffield Wednesday and a 3-1 win over Portsmouth.
Their winning streak was halted last weekend with a 3-2 loss at Plymouth, where they conceded the decisive goal in injury time after leading 1-0 until the 54th minute.
Back at home, Sunderland's manager Regis Le Bris should feel optimistic about securing three points against an inconsistent Middlesbrough side.
Michael Carrick's team suffered a heavy 5-0 defeat at home to Stoke in the Carabao Cup, followed by a 2-0 win at Cardiff and a disappointing 1-1 draw against Preston, who scored with their only shot on target.
Boro will need to improve their finishing if they aim to compete for promotion and will likely struggle against their in-form rivals from the north-east.