Sunderland vs Dinamo Zagreb. UEFA Europa League. Match report as Sunderland were beaten 2-0 by Dinamo Zagreb to take the Black Cats’ run to one win in six in all competitions; Luka Stojkovic volleyed in the first for the Croatian side before setting up Dion Beljo for a second before half-time; Regis Le Bris is firmly under pressure Pressure is ramping up even more on Regis Le Bris as Sunderland were comfortably beaten 2-0 by Dinamo Zagreb in the Europa League to continue the Black Cats’ torrid run of form. Before the game, Le Bris said Sunderland have been too exposed and leaky in defence – but his team were not listening as they went in 2-0 down at half-time in front of an angry Stadium of Light.
Poor marking from a corner allowed Luka Stojkovic to volley in the first goal – then the Dinamo midfielder set up Dion Beljo with a delightful chipped pass, with his deft finish equally sweet, although the red and white defenders were all at sea in the move. At the other end of the pitch, Sunderland were a little more unfortunate. They struck the woodwork in both halves through defenders Thomas Meunier and Kevin Danso. Heroic defending from Dinamo also denied Malick Fofana and Trai Hume in the same move with last-ditch blocks.
Not even a quadruple half-time substitution by head coach Le Bris and the introduction of Brian Brobbey later in the second half could inspire a comeback. But for Le Bris, he is now facing a run of just one win across six games in all competitions. Bottom of the Premier League, now Sunderland’s league form is drifting into Europe. With Sunderland booed off at half and full-time, and fans rushing for the exits long before the full-time whistle, how much credit in the bank does the Frenchman still have? 10: CHANCE!
Chris Rigg crosses for Jules Ahoka whose header is straight at the Dinamo goalkeeper. 22: BIG BLOCK! Beljo has a clear sight of goal for Dinamo but Granit Xhaka comes across with a last-dtich block. 23: GOAL! The resulting corner sees Stojkovic given space to crack a shot at goal and he obliges with a stunning volley. 24: OFF THE LINE! Dinamo nearly make it 2-0 but Meunier denies Milan Orsic with a goal-line clearance. 30: OFF THE POST!
Meunier’s cross is so deep it comes off the woodwork, nearly catching the goalkeeper out. 40: GOAL! Stojkovic’s clipped pass finds Beljo in space and he finishes to make it 2-0. 47: GOAL DISALLOWED! Xhaka crosses for Wilson Isidor to head home from close range – but it is ruled out for offside by VAR. 58: OFF THE BAR! Following wave after wave of Sunderland attacks, Reinildo’s header is clawed out by the goalkeeper, then Danso strikes the bar with a hooked finish on the rebound. 67: CHANCE!
Brobbey comes on and nearly gets a goal back, but he is denied by the goalkeeper from close range after Xhaka’s smart pass. Sunderland head coach Regis Le Bris to TNT Sports: “Tough period. We had two different halves. The first one was difficult with many young players.
This period is not easy to manage and we felt even if they tried, it’s heavy at the minute. It’s not easy to change the dynamic. “I appreciated the reaction in the second half, even though there were more experienced players. More quality, more experience on the pitch.
We are unlucky because we created many chances but it wasn’t enough. It’s like this, when you go on a poor run it’s hard to change the dynamic. “We are still combative, the players tried until the end to show something different. We know that the most important game this week is at the end of the week against Chelsea.
“I’m pleased with the energy, competitiveness until the end. Now we need more quality, it’s fair to say that, because at the minute it’s not the case.” Are Sunderland out of confidence? “Probably. We have good players, a good team.
I believe this team has a really big potential. We showed it last season. But you also have to experience tough situations. Last season, it happened a bit later when we had 30, 35 points.
“Now the situation is different. This situation will define us as well as a team, as a club, with our fans, with staff – we’ll stick together and be combative until the end.” Just where has last season’s Sunderland gone? The team that was tough to beat, capable of finding solutions and demonstrating resilience has disappeared this season. What Sunderland are going through right now is what many expected them to be like last season.
Except this year, they are not a newly-promoted side, they are a team in Europe. Ultimately, the Thursday-Sunday schedule is taking its toll and this result has proven that Sunderland’s depth is not good enough. The likes of Jules Ahoka, Thomas Meunier and Chris Rigg were all taken off at half-time. And that does not bode well with the fixture schedule only piling further and further up.
Le Bris ultimately chose Chelsea as the priority match this week. His six changes for this game spoke volumes about how they cannot handle their European commitments with this level of squad, with this lack of confidence. Play Super 6 for a chance to win £1m! Enter for free.
