LEIRIA, Portugal — Noah Sadiki’s first goal for Sunderland, by the club’s own count, arrived in the 93rd minute on Thursday night, when Granit Xhaka touched the ball down for him in the penalty area and he slammed it into the net before running to the away end.
It rescued a night that had gone wrong. The 2-1 win at Torreense kept Sunderland perfect in a competition they re-entered after 53 years, a return that began with the Europa League draw handing them AC Milan at the San Siro, after they trailed at halftime to a Portuguese second-division side.
The scoreline hides the real subject, which is Regis Le Bris’s decision to make seven changes. Sunderland did not manage a shot on target until the 57th minute, according to Sky Sports, and by then Torreense centre-back Volnei Feltes had already scored from 25 yards in the 37th. Two minutes later Le Bris sent on Enzo Le Fee, Xhaka, Reinildo and Nordi Mukiele, regular first-teamers all, in place of Malick Fofana, Angulo, Methalie and Trai Hume.
Torreense play in Portugal’s second division and reached Europe by beating Sporting in the Taça de Portugal final. Their home ground does not meet UEFA regulations, so they host European games in Leiria, Sky Sports reported.
Mukiele’s cross brought the equaliser in the 67th minute, headed in by Jules Ahoka. Earlier, a header from Timur Tuterov was ruled out for what Sky called a soft foul. In the 89th, the referee overturned a penalty he had awarded for a foul on Tuterov after a VAR check. Then came Xhaka’s touch and Sadiki’s finish, timed at 90+3 by Sky Sports. The club’s own account marked it with “What a time to score your first Sunderland goal.”
Le Bris called being back in Europe “53 years later, in Portugal especially” and winning at the end “really special.” Sadiki conceded that Torreense “made it really difficult for us, even though people considered us favourites before the game,” and said “you don’t have to be scared of the big teams.” Neither addressed, in the quotes Sky Sports carried, why the first-choice players began on the bench.
The margin for that choice is thin. Sky Sports’ table, updated after the final whistle, has Sunderland ninth on six points, one place outside the top eight who qualify directly. Lyon in eighth are level on points and goal difference and have scored five to Sunderland’s three. Lyon is also the club Sunderland bought Malick Fofana from on deadline day, the winger Le Bris took off in the 59th minute.
Sunderland are at Bournemouth on Sunday and at Lech Poznan on Thursday. How Le Bris divides his regulars between them is still unanswered.
