Granit Xhaka, Sunderland’s captain, believes it is not unrealistic to dream about Régis Le Bris’s side travelling all the way to the Europa League final next spring. It is rarely a good idea to dismiss Xhaka but reaching that showpiece in Frankfurt will necessitate considerably more efficient finishing on his team’s part than proved evident on a highly evocative night on Wearside. Thanks to a second-half penalty from the indefatigable Enzo Le Fée – appropriately the game’s outstanding player – the game ended happily for Sunderland as the home side launched their big return to Europe with a morale-boosting win.
Along the way they missed a litany of chances but, in Le Fée, possessed both a high-calibre attacking playmaker and a tireless off‑the‑ball warrior who, time after time, regained possession for his team. When Le Bris was invited later to agree that a player he first coached as a 12-year-old in Lorient’s academy was Champions League class, the Sunderland manager’s smile lit up the room. I’m proud and pleased for the players and the fans, AZ are a really good side but we played with heart and togetherness.” Occupants of the VIP seats included Jimmy Montgomery, the now 82-year-old hero of Sunderland’s 1973 FA Cup triumph against Leeds and their European goalkeeper during that last, albeit fairly short‑lived, adventure in the Cup Winners’ Cup 53 years ago.
Kick-off was prefaced by a spine-tingling, ear-splitting preamble featuring a giant tifo of a sailing ship floating above the message: “New shores to conquer”. Not that AZ were inclined to surrender lightly. Leeroy Echteld’s team had enjoyed an unbeaten start to the season, winning five and drawing one of their opening Eredivisie games.
Indeed they would have taken an early lead had Robin Roefs not extended a boot and kept out the dangerous Ro-Zangelo Daal’s low shot after he had been played in by the talented visiting No 10 Kees Smit. The moment had arrived for Le Fée to start raising the home tone and his half-volley duly tested Jari De Busser. Though De Busser was swiftly forced to push Kevin Danso’s fine shot over the bar, Sunderland almost came undone on the counterattack and it took an excellent interception on Trai Hume’s part to halt Ayoub Oufkir.
Smit and his teammates issued plenty of reminders that AZ are more than merely deft in possession, but Le Bris’s starting XI was hardly shabby either and, after Wilson Isidor conjured a glorious chance, Le Fée’s shot hit the post. It was not long before another shot, from Hume this time, whizzed just wide of an upright. When, back in January 2022, Hume joined Sunderland, they were still in League One.
Back in the present Le Bris’s team ended the first half thoroughly dominant yet frustrated. The manager later blamed “overthinking”. Oufkir, meanwhile, was arguably fortunate to collect only a yellow card after sliding in recklessly on Le Fée and was replaced by Weslley Patati at the interval.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
