English FA CUP
2026-03-08 - Port Vale vs Sunderland
A Sports Betting Pick by Auls
Football: English FA Cup Fifth Round
Sunday 8th March 2026 - Kick Off 1:30pm
This game is live on TV
Port Vale
Fourteen League One games remain on the schedule and Port Vale are in for a huge fight if they are going to retain their status as a third tier football club. They are bottom of the League One table and 10 points from safety, albeit with a couple of games in hand over some of the relegation rivals, but this weekend the entire club can focus on trying to earn a big Cup upset.
Just eight minutes remained in Extra Time when Port Vale popped up with a winning goal that saw them get the better of Championship Bristol City and earn the right to host a Premier League club at Vale Park. The FA Cup draw has been kind enough to give Port Vale home matches in each of the previous four Rounds, but the Fifth Round tie is against the highest ranked opponent they would have faced in that run.
Port Vale are unbeaten in 4 games in all competitions ahead of the FA Cup Fifth Round tie and that will have given the players belief for this fixture, as well as for the fight to avoid the drop. They have not won any of the last 7 at Vale Park in normal time, but Port Vale have shown enough resistance to draw 4 of the last 5 here.
Sunderland
It has been over fifty years since Sunderland last won the FA Cup and over forty since they last reached the Final in the competition. The last few years have been difficult all around, but everyone has to be feeling much more positive around Sunderland having almost certainly retained Premier League status for another season and having the best run in the FA Cup for over a decade.
The Black Cats reached the FA Cup Fifth Round in 2015, but they will head into this tie as a favourite to make the first Quarter Final in the competition since 2014. Having almost certainly secured top flight status, Regis Le Bris and the Sunderland players can give the FA Cup plenty of attention and they have already seen off Everton and Oxford United in away ties this season.
Sunderland had only won 1 of the previous 5 games in all competitions, but they battled to a 0-1 win at Elland Road on Tuesday to build up some confidence. They are not only unbeaten in 3 away games in all competitions ahead of this game at Vale Park, but Sunderland have kept clean sheets in all of those matches and won twice.
Reinildo and Dennis Cirkin are edging closer to a return, but Robin Roefs is a doubt. Both Nordi Mukiele and Brian Brobbey are hoping to be involved before the March international break.
Head to Head
The last three meetings between Port Vale and Sunderland have all been in Cup settings since they played in the same Division in 1998/99.
Sunderland have won a FA Cup tie at Vale Park in 2018 and a League Cup tie here in 2021 by the same 1-2 scoreline.
Prediction
There are two approaches that feel fitting for this FA Cup Fifth Round tie.
Both favour the Premier League club who have taken the FA Cup pretty seriously and who have eased any lingering relegation concerns with a win at Leeds United.
That is the third away game without a defeat for Sunderland and they have kept clean sheets in each of those matches- they certainly look a decent price to win this one with a clean sheet as they did when visiting Oxford United.
However, it feels like Port Vale may not be able to offer as much resistance as the Championship club.
Earlier this season, Port Vale were beaten 0-2 here by Arsenal in the League Cup and the bottom club in the League One standings could find it very difficult to bridge the gap here.
Port Vale did beat Bristol City in the FA Cup Fourth Round on Tuesday, but they needed Extra Time that evening.
They have shown some recent resistance to pick up some solid results, but rarely will a team like Sunderland have visited Vale Park.
As long as Sunderland approach this as they have the rest of the season, there should be enough quality in the away squad to see them past this lower League opponent.
The lack of goals away from home has to be something of a concern, but Sunderland look capable of matching that victory secured by Arsenal in the League Cup. Weathering the early storm is key for Sunderland, but if they can do that, this looks a team that should be able to progress to the FA Cup Quarter Final behind a solid win and likely another clean sheet.
The Pick :
Port Vale 0-2 Sunderland
