Sunderland and Southampton met at the Stadium of Light in the fourth round of the Capital One Cup.
The Black Cats advanced from the last stage with a 2-0 home win over Peterborough United of League One, while Saints emerged from the third round with a comfortable 2-0 victory over third-tier outfit Bristol City at St Mary's.
However, Sunderland booked their place in the last eight with a narrow win on the night.
Read how the match unfolded in our live commentary.
Good evening and welcome to Sports Mole's live coverage from the Capital One Cup where Sunderland host Southampton at the Stadium of Light.
While many will be concentrating on the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and Celtic in the Champions League, our focus is on the Capital One Cup, and we have a cracking all-Premier League tie for you.
It's a clash of the teams in red and white stripes as Sunderland and Southampton duel for a place in the fifth round of the competition.
Sunderland made it to this phase of the tournament after beating League One side Peterborough United 2-0 at the Stadium of Light in the third round. Emanuele Giaccherini and Valentin Roberge were on the scoresheet that night.
On the other hands, Saints progressed from the third stage by getting the better of Bristol City, also of League One, at St Mary's thanks to goals from Gaston Ramirez and Jos Hooiveld.
Right, let's bring you the team news.
SUNDERLAND XI: Mannone, Celustka, Bardsley, Brown, O'Shea, Ki, Gardner, Colback, Johnson, Giaccherini, Altidore
Gus Poyet makes eight changes to the team that were beaten by Hull City on Saturday, with only captain John O'Shea, Jack Colback and Jozy Altidore keeping their place.
Westwood, Bardsley, Cuellar, Dossena, Larsson, Cattermole, Borini and Fletcher all make way.
That means that Mannone, Celustka, Bardsley, Brown, Ki, Gardner, Johnson and Giaccherini all come into the team for the game.
Let's take a look at what options Poyet has in his dugout.
SUNDERLAND BENCH: Cabral, Larsson, Fletcher, Cuellar, Borini, Mavrias, Dixon
Poyet hands places on the bench to 19-year-old Greek winger Charalampos Mavrias, summer signing Cabral and young goalkeeper Joel Dixon.
And now for Southampton.
SAINTS XI: K. Davis, Chambers, Yoshida, Hooiveld, Fox, Cork, Reed, S. Davis, Ramirez, Lee, Rodriguez
Mauricio Pochettino has made a huge 10 changes to his side following their draw at Stoke City, with only goalscorer James Rodriguez keeping his place.
That means that Boruc, Clyne, Fonte, Lovren, Shaw, Schneiderlin, Wanyama, Ward-Prowse, Lallana and Lambert are all rested from the starting lineup.
That means that Kelvin Davis, Calum Chambers, Maya Yoshida, Jos Hooiveld, Danny Fox, Jack Cork, Harrison Reed, Steven Davis, Gaston Ramirez, and Tadanari Lee all get a chance tonight.
And now for their bench.
SAINTS BENCH: Gazzaniga, Clyne, Ward-Prowse, Lallana, Isgrove, Stephens, Gallagher
20-year-old midfielder Lloyd Isgrove, 19-year-old Jack Stephens and 18-year-old Sam Gallagher all get a place among the substitutes.
Pochettino has also named two 18-year-old's in the starting XI, right-back Callum Chambers and midfielder Harrison Reed.
We're just under 10 minutes away from kick off at the Stadium of Light.
The teams are in the tunnel at the Stadium of Light.
And out they come to cheers out onto the field.
Kelvin Davis captains Southampton tonight, as he returns to face his former club.
Sunderland are wearing their red and white striped home kit with black shorts and red socks. Saints are in their all black/grey away strip.
KICK OFF! Saints get us underway at the Stadium of Light.
Nearly a chance for Saints as Chambers whips in a low cross from the right, but Tadanari is just beaten to the ball by O'Shea.
Tadanari gets in a shot after Ramirez dribbles himself out of a tight situation, but the effort is high and over the crossbar.
Just a reminder that the winner of this will be rewarded with a home tie in the quarter-finals against Chelsea.
Saints have a corner which is curled in from the right, it drops of a head and Rodriguez is in quickly to try to get a shot away, but it's blocked and out for a goal kick.
CHANCE! First attacking bit of play from Sunderland of the night as Bardsley plays a long ball down the right to Altidore. He uses his strength to hold off Fox and he comes inside and get into the box, but his low shot crawls along the floor and comfortably into the arms of Davis.
It's been an even start to the match, but Saints have perhaps slightly edged it so far in terms of possession. Best chance has fallen to Sunderland though, albeit the only clear chance.
CHANCE! Promising move from Sunderland down the right as Celustka pulls a low cross back to Giaccherini, but he hits the ball off his standing foot and out for a goal kick, albeit with a fair bit of power.
Must be said that there are a lot of empty seats at the Stadium of Light tonight and it's fairly quiet as a consequence.
Sunderland are having a good spell of possession in Southampton's half at the moment, but they can't seem to find that decisive pass. Saints are pressing a lot.
Bardsley cuts onto his right foot on the left of the field and chips a cross towards the far post, but it is just too high for Craig Gardner, and it goes out for a goal kick.
Sunderland are enjoying a bit more attacking play at the moment, but we still haven't had a clear chance for a while.
CHANCE! Altidore has a go at goal after bring the ball down 25 yards out. It was always ambitious from the USA international, and it flew wide along the ground past the near post. Davis was never going to be troubled by that.
CHANCE! The ball bobbles about in the penalty area from a Sunderland corner, and it falls to Colback on the left of the box. He hits it with his left but drags it wide of the far post.
Kudos to the Southampton fans who have travelled up to this match. It's heck of a long trip to make for a wet and windy Wednesday night.
Saints are just starting to come back into it now and get a bit more of the ball, but they haven't tested Mannone at all yet.
Sunderland have floated a few balls into the box, but they've been too close to Davis each time, and he's collected them easily.
CHANCE! The best chance of the half falls to Saints, and Gaston Ramirez. On the edge of a busy box, Cork slots a brilliant pass out to him on the right of the box and Ramirez hits it high and wide first time.
We'll have one extra minute.
YELLOW CARD John O'Shea goes into the book for tripping Rodriguez.
HALF TIME: Sunderland 0-0 Southampton
So it's goalless at the break at the Stadium of Light. Both sides have had extended periods of possession but haven't really done too much with it.
Altidore had Sunderland's best opportunity but fired straight at Davis, while Ramirez skied a great chance right at the end of the half.
The teams are back out on the field.
KICK OFF! Sunderland, playing from right to left, get the second half underway.
Nothing to report in the early stages of this half. It's more of the same.
SAVE! Best opportunity of the game as Altidore brings down a high ball into the box with a wonderful flick into the path of Gardner, but his shot is saved by the legs of Davis.
Steven Davis skies an effort high over the bar from about 25 yards out. That was poor and wasteful.
Looks as if James Ward-Prowse will be coming on shortly.
SAINTS CHANGE Teenager Ward-Prowse comes on in the place of Tadanari Lee.
YELLOW CARD Jack Cork pulls the shirt of Colback after being beaten down the left and gets booked for it.
GOAL! Sunderland 1-0 Southampton (Phil Bardsley)
It's a scrappy one but they all count, and it's Bardsley's first goal for Sunderland. The free kick is curled into the box from the left. Brown gets his head to it and it's saved by Davis, but nobody clears it away and Bardsley can't help the loose ball over the line.
Saints have responded well with few corners and lofted free kicks into the box, but they haven't managed to stump up a chance on goal yet.
Saints want a penalty after Chambers goes down in the box, but the referee gives nothing.
Celustka is hobbling off the field and down the tunnel. That will be the end of his night but he hasn't been replaced yet. Larsson will come on shortly, but Sunderland are down to 10 men for now.
SUNDERLAND CHANGE Sebastian Larsson comes on to replace the injured Celustka.
SAINTS CHANGE Pochettino are also going to make a change, and Lallana is called on for Steve Davis.
CLOSE! Ward-Prowse swings a corner into the far post, but Yoshida heads it over.
Nearly an embarrassing moment for Sunderland, as O'Shea gives an awkward pass back to Mannone, who doesn't have much time and boots it clear. However, it cannons off the back of an onrushing Lallana, but it flies just wide of the open goal.
YELLOW CARD Hooiveld is booked for kicking the ball away. Silly thing to do.
Gardner has a chance from free kick about 30 yards from goal, but his wild effort is horrendously hit over the bar.
SAINTS CHANGE Gaston Ramirez is taken off, with Sam Gallagher coming on.
Gallagher, a product of the Saints academy, is making his debut for the side here.
Ki is currently down receiving treatment and looks in pain. Poyet may be forced into making a second change here.
Ki hobbles off to the side of the pitch, but he is going to continue here.
Half-hearted appeals from Saints for a penalty as Lallana goes down up against Gardner, but Lee Mason doesn't give one.
GOAL! Sunderland 2-0 Southampton (Sebastian Larsson)
Larsson surely puts Sunderland into the last eight with a decisive second goal. Giaccherini is brilliantly tackled by the last man Danny Fox, but that leaves the left-back out of position. Altidore picks up the loose ball and rolls it to Larsson on his right in space, who drills a shot into the bottom corner. Game over.
GOAL! Sunderland 2-1 Southampton (Maya Yoshida)
I knew Saints would score as soon as I typed 'game over'. It may be a little too late, but a brilliant Ward-Prowse free kick to the far post was nodded back across goal by Hooiveld before Yoshida headed in to get Saints back in it.
Giaccherini wants to come off injured and is unable to move freely on the side of the field. Sunderland down to 10 for the last few minutes.
Giaccherini looks as if he has just pulled a muscle in his back, he is going to be replaced by Fletcher.
There will be four minutes of added time.
SUNDERLAND CHANGE Giaccherini is off, and Fletcher is now on.
YELLOW CARD Gardner picks up a caution for a foul in an earlier move that the referee had played advantage to.
CHANCE! The ball drops to Ward-Prowse who is free on the edge of the box but blazes it over.
FULL TIME: Sunderland 2-1 Southampton
Sunderland are into the next round and will face Chelsea in the last eight the week before Christmas.
Goals from Phil Bardsley and Sebastian Larsson ultimately won the game for the Black Cats.
Maya Yoshida pulled one back, but it proved to be too little too late for Saints, who are knocked out of the competition.
That's it from me. I hope you enjoyed the game, until next time, goodnight.
Written by
Matt Cotton
Matt Cotton
