Match Day Thread Sporting CP v Sunderland AFC - Monday 21st July 2025 - KO 20:00

Sunderland face Sporting in their second game at the Estádio Algarve.
Last time out Sunderland drew with Sevilla and Sporting lost 2-0 to Celtic.
Regis le Bris handed debuts to summer signings Noah Sadiki, Chemsdine Talbi, and Simon Adingra, as the Black Cats took control of the first half against Sevilla. Enzo Le Fée capitalised on a defensive error, rounded the keeper, and calmly slotted into an empty net.
Le Bris made 10 changes at the break, with only Simon Moore retaining his place. Despite the reshuffle, Sunderland continued to show spirit and discipline, frustrating their LaLiga opponents. Moore produced a smart double save to deny Isaac Romero, while Ahmed Abdullahi fired into the side netting before being caught just as he broke through on goal. Sevilla, however, found a late equaliser deep into stoppage time, with Rubén Vargas firing home from 12 yards to secure a draw.
Sporting Clube de Portugal continue preparing for the 2025/26 season, and on Monday the squad were out on the training pitch in Lagos.
Coach Rui Borges held another morning training session. Ricardo Esgaio, assigned to the Performance Unit, and Pedro Gonçalves, authorised to be absent for personal reasons, did not participate in the work on the pitch.
The main team news is the expected departure of Viktor Gyokeres to Arsenal. Gyokeres has been linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium since last summer due to his stunning form in Portugal, where he has scored 59 goals in 59 league games to date.

Regis le Bris:
“The main point today was to keep moving on with the team spirit. It is one of our key pillars – the way we want to attack together and the way we want to defend together. It was two different games in the same one. We had the opportunity to score two or three goals in the first half but we didn’t, but the team spirit was good.
“The second half was a bit different because Sevilla had their best squad in that moment. “We defended well and had some good chances on the counter attack, so I am really happy with the togetherness because it is the identity of Sunderland.”
Le Bris also offered an injury update on Romaine Mundle, Chris Rigg, Nectar Triantis, and Anthony Patterson:
“He (Mundle) had surgery today so we will have to wait for the recovery. It is a shame because he has worked well over the summer and was ready. It is a shame but we have to wait and the squad support him.
Chris (Rigg), Nectar (Triantis) and Anthony (Patterson) are fine – they are good. It is just a question of making sure we don’t overload them. “We have to manage different players like that so there are no worries.”
Rui Borges :
"Viktor is a player... I think there are no words: it is unlikely that another player of his quality will emerge in our league over the next few years," Borges told reporters. "He is clearly above average.
"Sporting recognised his talent, and here we are. Fortunately, we have him at Sporting. We must make the most of the time we have with him because he is truly exceptional.

Team Lineups:
Sunderland AFC Squad: Patterson, Moore, Noukeu, Young, Seelt, Hjelde, Alese, Cirkin, Reinildo, O’Nien, Ballard, Hume, Huggins, Johnson, Triantis, Neil, Browne, J. Jones, Sadiki, Le Fee, Aleksic, Roberts, Adingra, Rigg, Talbi, Mundle, Isidor, Mayenda, Abdullahi, Diarra, Tutierov, H.Jones, Lavery, Bainbridge, Middlemas, Ogunsuyi.
Injured: O’Nien, Alese, Cirkin, Hjelde, Mundle

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Sporting Squad: Franco Israel, Rui Silva, Diego Calai, Francisco Silva, Matheus Reis, Eduardo Quaresma, Gonçalo Inácio, Ivan Fresneda, Jeremiah St. Juste, Ousmane Diomande, Ricardo Esgaio, Diogo Travassos, David Moreira, Zeno Debast, Hidemasa Morita, Morten Hjulmand, Giorgi Kochorashvili, Rayan Lucas, João Simões, Manuel Mendonça, Pedro Gonçalves, Geovany Quenda, Maximiliano Araújo, Geny Catamo, Francisco Trincão, Alisson Santos, Biel Teixeira, Lucas Anjos, Rodrigo Ribeiro and Conrad Harder are the players who have travelled to Southern Portugal.
Daniel Bragança and Nuno Santos have stayed behind in the club's Performance Unit.

My two pence:
I missed the Sevilla game live but manged to catch up this morning. I’m looking forward to seeing how they get on against Sporting. Their main threat, Gyokeres is unlikely to feature and I think we'll give them a good test.
RLB has hinted that the 3 lads that missed out will get minutes this time around with maybe a few additional tweaks.
I’m going for a 2-1 Sunderland win

Live Stream:
The game will be available to stream live on safc.com,

Ha’way the Lads

 

This will be a proper game.

Champions, CL club, they will have thousands of fans there.

Only to be dominated by our trio of midfield maestros.

Jokes aside this will be a good one, they move the ball fast and are really intricate, will really test us out of possession.

Looks like the clubs made a nice little relationship with Sevilla, we can do a lot worse than make the same with this magnificent producer of players.

We owe them one for 1974 an arl.

 

If I find a YouTube link I’ll post it

 

Good lad

 

Yeah . . . . she's a good lad

 

Been called worse

 

Sorry Miss

 

Do you all think that we are building a machine of a team?

I do....

I'm in my 60's....and you young bucks know the names of all these new signings?....

Yet I have to be honest....I'm only going on your personal views...

Ha'way me bonny lads .....

 

The premier league is a different beast to when we were last there when we kept circling the plug hole but ended up escaping until Moyes took over. This time, I think we could be ok - it's going to be a hill climb but the players we've already brought in fills me with hope. Enzo is such a clever skillful player, we saw that last season and I know it's only 45 minutes but last night's showing showed how we could attach at pace going forward. Shore up at the back a bit more then we could be confident. Don't get me wrong, those players who got us there can still be involved - and I hope they are - but the signing we've brought in really have be looking forward to the season

 

I was at both home games in cup winners cup and went to Budapest, money stopped me going to Portugal.

 

Another good test. Result doesn’t really matter but I can see another draw