Match Day Thread Sunderland AFC v Saudi FC - Sunday 14th December 2025 - KO 14:00

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Rade Prica said:
Sunderland face Saudi FC for the first time in the Premier League.
Last time out Sunderland lost at Man City and the Saudis beat Burnley.
Sunderland lost 3-0 at the Etihad with 2 first half goals, Ruben Dias unleashing a thunderous 30-yard strike, which took a deflection off Dan Ballard and swerved into the top corner, before doubling their advantage on 35 minutes when Josko Gvardiol leapt highest to power home an unstoppable header from Phil Foden's in swinging corner to give the hosts a comfortable half-time cushion.
Luke O’Nein was sent off for a reckless challenge and will miss this game. Gvardiol, however, is happy with his yellow card, thanks to VAR and the corrupt Premier League.

Saudi FC won 2-1 at home to Burnley, with the clarets being reduced to 10 men in the 43rd minute when Pires was sent off. Bruno Guimaraes scored directly from a corner and Anthony Gordon converted a penalty for a hand ball in the area.
Flemming made the Saudis sweat after scoring a penalty following another VAR intervention, but the Saudis, not without a scare, saw the game out to move up to 10th place.

Regis le Bris:
“A tough game against a really strong team with many elite players, so it was probably difficult to repeat after Liverpool the same level of intensity.
“I think we defended well in the first half, they found a solution with the lo
Eddie Beheady:
“We, the club, the players and our fans are happy to be funded by the Saudi nation and are happy to support their sports washing. Thanks for all of the money that you have spent while continuing to behead your own citizens and foreign nationals.”
Allegedly

https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/n...ions-foreign-nationals-drug-related-offences/
Between January 2014 and June 2025, Saudi Arabia executed 1,816 people, according to the official press agency. Nearly one in three were executed for drug-related offences, which are offences that may not be punished by death under international human rights law and standards. Out of the 597 people executed for drug-related offences during the ten-year period, foreign nationals made up nearly three-quarters (75%) of such executions.

Form:
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Match Appointments:
Referee: PETER BANKES
Assistant Referee: Eddie Smart
Assistant Referee: Blake Antrobus
Fourth Official: Simon Hooper
Video Assistant Referee: Stuart Atwell
Additional Video Assistant Referee: Alex Chilowicz

Possible Team Lineups:
Sunderland AFC: Roefe, Reinildo, Ballard, Alderete, Mukiele, Hume, Xhaka, Sadiki, Le Fee, Talbi, Isidor.
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Subs: Patterson, Geertruida, Cirkin, Neil, Rigg, Adingra, Mayenda, Mundle, Brobbey.
Injured: Alese, Hjelde, Diarra.
Suspended: O’Nien

Saudi FC: Ramsdale, Thiaw, Schar, Burn, Livramento, Guimaráes, Tonali, Joelinton, Woltemade, Gordon, Elanga.
Substitutes: Ruddy, Wissa, Muphy, Barnes, Murphy, Miley, Ramsey, Hall, Willock.
Injured: Pope, Trippier, Botman, Krafth, Osula.

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Betting Odds:
Sunderland 17/5 Saudis 21/10 Draw 33/10

My two pence:
An early start for me to get up to the SoL in time for the 2pm kick-off.
I’m glad that Xhaka and Sadiki are still able to play and hope that they are back to their best for this one.
The Saudis face Bayer Leverkrusen on Wednesday and I fully expect Xhaka to have a word with his former team mates to take no prisoners.

I’m going for a 2-1 win - lock up ya horses

Live Stream:
Sky Sports Main Event

Ha’way the Lads
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That's an outstanding effort btw.
 
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C Montgomery Burns said:
My thoughts on today.

Didn't have a ticket, so watched it on TV. Sunday lunch at my mam's and then the game on Sky.

Pre game I was as nervous as hell, more than I had been for a derby game in years. I'm not normally confident about derbies, and I think after the great start we've had it made me more nervous in case today turned into a kick in the teeth. My nerves never really settled all game and I missed the pregame display, though I've seen it on line. Absolutely class display and a great tifo.

Once the game kicked off it settled into an attritional game, both teams stifling each other for chances, though we were the better team and played the better football. The mags tactics seemed to be to sit back and draw us on and then to try and catch us in the break using Gordon and Elangas' pace. Luckily for us it was pretty ineffective, we marshaled them well and Elanga in particular was pretty anonymous. Gordon I've said before might have pace, but almost no end product, neither caused us much difficulties at the back. Both were well contained and Voldemort up top for them was basically ineffective. He might be good in the air and in the box, but from what I could see on TV he just lumbered around aimlessly. He didn't seem to press us or chase anything down much, so out back 4 looked pretty secure and were able to push up. This meant we had loads of the ball, but the fact they were so deep and playing this tactic stifled us creating many chances. It was almost as if they were playing for a draw then penalties. My nerves hadn't really settled and I was happy when we got to half time. Though there's been no shots on target and no clear chances, we were the better team and looked most likely to score.

A minute after halftime we did. A fantastic header from Voldemort, pity he'd forgotten that we'd changed ends :emoticon-0102-bigsm. For the next few minutes they were rocking and I'd hoped we'd get a second to put it to bed, but it wasn't to be. Howe made changes and the mags came into it more, with us dropping deeper. At this point I was getting really nervous, the ref was poor how he missed their regular cynical fouls was beyond me. You can bet that the push on Ballard would have been a penalty if it was the other way round. I'd not have been surprised to see him send one of our off or award an iffy free kick to them for to score. But after a few minutes Le Bris made changes of his own and we got momentum back. In truth other than a couple of tame shots Roefs had little to do and they created next to nothing. The best chance resulting in easily the best save was from Isadores shot late in the second half. With it only being 1-0 I was nervous right up to the final whistle but in truth we were much the better team and deserved the win.

After the match it was off to the pub to celebrate with some match going mates and reflect on it, so some more points. Howe has his fanboys who talk him up as a top manager, yet tactically he was completely out done by RLB. A low block with numbers and height to stifle us and use the pace of Gordon and Elanga to hit us on the break. It didn't work, yet he didn't try and change anything (swapping wings, pushing up higher, overlapping fullbacks etc) until 30 minutes to go and that was really just changing wingers (and taking off Tonali who had just been booked). RLB tactically had us pressing them back sensibly and not leaving gaps they could exploit, forcing them to go long at times and turn over possession, but also we dictated the pace of the game not being reckless or too loose. When RLB made changes, such as bringing on Isadore and Hume it also subtly changed the dynamic, a different type of striker for them to deal with, Hume could act as cover and support to Nordi or as a defensive midfielder. Good game management. The ref was poor, how he let them get away with so many cynical fouls is beyond me, Thiaw was repeatedly holding and shirt pulling yet nothing done. Brobbey was stupid getting booked the way he did. But it was the result of frustration from a niggly kick on his achilles. And Bruno is both a petulant little niggly twat and an ineffective twat when Joelinton isn't there kicking people for him. The fact that they couldn't bully us or niggle us into losing our heads is another big reason we won today, if other clubs learn the same the mags will be nowhere near as effective as they have been the last couple of years.

And finally, this one was for you, Lord Rowell.
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Quite right in all you say mate.

What stood out for me was that Voldemort was so easily marked, I’ll be amazed if he keeps scoring in the way he first did …

… other club’s defenders must’ve watched today and nodded then tapped the side of their nose.

And yes, a wonderful goodbye for Gary Rowell …

… everything a hero should be.
 
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In the morning, the morning after the day before,when it sinks in, I hope the likes of Ant and Dec, Shearer, Sting etc are going about their days, loads of money in their pockets and fantastic lifestyles.... then that sick feeling in the pit of their stomachs kicks in knowing they got done by Sunderland. All the digs, cheap shots and pi55 taking over the leauge one and championship days put to bed until April. I hope they avoid the news for days, get sick of hearing about us.Yes it was an own goal that settled it, but we done that to them. 3 points, clean sheet, win in the bank and 4 points clear of them. 10 unbeaten aswell.
 
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Rade Prica said:
That was brilliant, today. Important in so many ways, however today felt like an announcement to those up the road that we are back and we’re coming for them. The whole team were immense, but that was no surprise.

What we have done so far this season is nothing short of remarkable. The trajectory of the club under KLD’s leadership is like nothing any of us could have imagined. Since the FA cup defeat to the scum, things stepped up a gear.

The sacking of Beale, appointing RLB, signing Le Fee, promotion, Ghisolfi and the summer transfer window. Even the details today on the scoreboard, tifo etc mean we all have a club that we couldn’t be any more proud of.

The last 6 months have been like nothing I’ve ever experienced as a Sunderland fan and I think the best is yet to come.
Click to expand...

Also add in getting rid of Davison and appointing Bruce.
 
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Essayyeffcee said:
Just watched our match on MOTD, god Walcott is fast becoming a jumped up little prick as a so called pundit.

Asked what he thought of the us taking a picture at the end replied " I wonder if they do that in the return fixture". Knob
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Funny he should mention that!

I was thinking yesterday after seeing us down it and Jones reminding me about the mags doing it, we could go there and thumping them 0-6 and our club wouldn't be up for a team photo on the pitch like that! It's called having class Theo! Fortunately Dave Jones knew the score and made sure it was said and Sky have now run with it!
 
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I'm absolutely chuffed to bits with how much the club has improved since that defeat against them in the cup! My god does Ballard sum that up we all know what he has done recently but he was probably our best player in that defeat but still had a bad day! He didn’t put a foot wrong yesterday and they didn’t get a sniff with that back 4 plus Reofs!

It seems obvious him and the other lads who were there told Xhaka and the other lads all about last time!

Chuffed for big Dan!
 
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