Sunderland have a point to prove against a Sheffield Wednesday side that presents a threat to the Black Cats' promotion ambitions, according to Lee Johnson.
The Wearsiders take on Darren Moore's South Yorkshire side at the Stadium of Light tonight looking to avenge their 3-0 defeat at Hillsborough at the beginning of November, and knowing that a win will see them go into the New Year as League One leaders.
Sunderland and Sheffield Wednesday are more used to facing each other in the top two divisions of the football pyramid, and both are desperate to get out of League One.
Johnson said: "Whatever league this game was in, it would be a great game.
"These are two clubs with fantastic histories, fantastic fanbases, coming together.
"But the reality is that both clubs are in League One. Both sets of players, coaches, and managers, are in the same boat and it's an opportunity for us to put a bit more daylight between us and them because they are a serious threat to anyone who has ambitions of going up automatically."
The Owls are currently eighth, nine points behind Sunderland but having played one game fewer, however Johnson insists the Black Cats will have to earn the right to play against a club that boasts one of the strongest sides in the third tier.
"That game [at Hillsborough], for me, was never a 3–0," said Johnson.
"We performed better than we got credit for, and if I had shown you the post-match review there were signs in there that we were going to go on a good run - as we have done.
"We were caught on the back of a difficult week: QPR [in the Carabao Cup], then Rotherham, then Sheffield Wednesday, and they are all good teams and all physical teams.
"Against any team, and particularly the likes of Rotherham and Sheffield Wednesday, you have to earn the right to play and you have to be able to cope with the physicality of the opposition, and I believe we will.
"We are at home and we have to take the game to the opponent, we have a bit of a point to prove because of the scoreline, and I think the boys will feel that going into it.
"But they are probably up there with the strongest two or three squads in the division, there's no doubting that, when you look at the likes of Barry Bannan and some of the experienced players around their squad," said Johnson.
"I know they've got injuries to their defensive line and we don't know how they have come through their issues from Covid, so we have to be flexible and the boys have to be ready for a potential shape-change.
"We also have to be ready for their strongest team to play, and that's what we try to build around."
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