Sunderland travel to Poland on Thursday evening looking to continue a European run that stands in sharp contrast to their Premier League struggles, facing bottom-of-the-table Lech Poznań in Gameweek 3 of the Europa League at the Enea Stadion, with kick-off at 17:45 UK time.
Le Bris’s gamble: six changes and a first start for Diarra
Régis Le Bris has reshuffled his starting eleven for the trip to Poznań following Sunday’s Premier League defeat. Habib Diarra makes his first competitive start of the season as Régis Le Bris makes six changes for Sunderland’s Europa League visit to Lech Poznan.
Granit Xhaka retains the captaincy, while Robin Roefs, Nordi Mukiele, Kevin Danso and Timur Tutierov also keep their places. Luke O’Nien, Dayann Methalie, Jules Ahoka, Nilson Angulo and Malick Fofana join Diarra in the starting XI. The experienced Sunderland captain is again asked to anchor midfield as his manager freshens up the side for continental duty.
Striker Brian Brobbey misses out once more, though he is expected to return to the squad when Leeds United visit the Stadium of Light on Sunday afternoon, while Thomas Meunier and Wilson Isidor remain major doubts having not yet returned to full training.
A tale of two campaigns
Sunderland’s European high, domestic low
The Black Cats' form mirrors their opponents' reverse fortunes, enjoying a perfect start in Europe while struggling heavily in England, sitting ninth in the Europa League table after winning both opening matches, defeating AZ Alkmaar 1-0 and SCU Torreense 2-1. Conversely, their Premier League form has plummeted; four consecutive losses—including recent 2-0 defeats to Brighton and Bournemouth—have left them anchored in the domestic relegation zone. That slump in the Premier League has only sharpened the focus on a competition where Le Bris’s side have looked far more comfortable.
Lech Poznań’s mirror image
The Polish outfit is experiencing contrasting fortunes domestically and continentally, sitting rock bottom of the Europa League after suffering consecutive crushing 4-0 defeats against Crystal Palace and Bayer Leverkusen, yet flying high in the Ekstraklasa in second place, highlighted by a dominant 4-1 victory over Śląsk Wrocław and an emphatic 6-1 thrashing of Korona Kielce last weekend. Lech are also missing their main striker, as Allahyar Sayyadmanesh is currently injured and, while he did partake in individual training this week, is expected to miss out on tonight’s game.
Head coach Niels Frederiksen has tried to put the European results into context, insisting his side remain capable of turning things around.
“We’re disappointed to have lost both matches and conceded eight goals, but we’re still in the Europa League. We have the belief and conviction to win.”
Kick-off time and how to watch in the UK
The Europa League match will kick off at 5.45pm UK time on Thursday. The match will be shown live on TNT Sports 1, with viewers able to stream the action via HBO Max if they have a package that includes TNT Sports, while TNT Sports is also available as an add-on for Amazon's Prime Video app. For those without TV access, BBC Radio Newcastle will have live commentary from 5pm with Nick Barnes and Gary Bennett. Fans following other continental fixtures can also check in on Liverpool’s trip to LASK taking place the same evening.
What’s at stake in the league phase
In the Europa League table, Sunderland sit ninth and Lech Poznan are 36th; Sunderland's position keeps them within touching distance of the upper half of the competition, while Lech's place deep in the lower reaches means they must win to stay meaningfully involved in the tournament. A positive result in Poznań would move Sunderland closer to the automatic knockout-round spots, while defeat would leave Lech needing a dramatic turnaround over their remaining league-phase fixtures.
Sunderland’s European schedule continues quickly: they host Sunderland v Dinamo Zagreb in the UEFA Europa League League Phase on Thursday 5th November, with a Carabao Cup tie against Brentford sandwiched in between. For now, though, all the focus is on whether Le Bris’s rotated side can make it three wins from three on the continent while the club searches for answers to its domestic form.