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Sunderland U21s host Athletic Bilbao in the Premier League International Cup on Wednesday
Sunderland U21s will take on Athletic Bilbao at the Stadium of Light as part of their Premier League International Cup campaign on Wednesday evening.
Graeme Murty’s side opened their Group D account with a 2-2 draw against Belgian outfit RSC Anderlecht last month, and were able to call upon a reinforced squad including the likes of Anthony Patterson, Luke O’Nien, Eliezer Mayenda, and Brian Brobbey, who got himself on the scoresheet.
Speaking after the contest, U21s coach Murty said: "There was loads of different elements in the game that you could have pieced out and it could have really dissected for a long time, but the tempo of the game, the competitive nature of the game, and I've got to say, both sides showed not a little bit of quality as well.
"So, I think, as a spectacle for the Premier League International Cup, I think it was a fairly good one. I hope that people outside enjoyed it, as for me, I'll go away, I'll dissect the bits that irritated me and the bits that pleased me as well and I'll make sure we give the players a really good balanced view of what we did well and what we need to do better."
When asked what had irritated him, Murty was typically forthright in his assessment. "Lots and lots and lots and lots," he admitted. "I thought, in the first half, I thought we were really passive. I thought we stood off and allowed Anderlecht to have a really, really good evening. So for the first 45 minutes, they had a stroll around the SoL and really enjoyed the atmosphere and really enjoyed the pitch and the surroundings and we really never got close to anyone and we really didn't put them under pressure.
“I thought that, after a few reminders at half-time, the tempo of the game in the second half was significantly higher, our ball speed was significantly higher and we were much, much more aggressive in the press. So once we sorted that out, I think that put us on a better footing to go and show how good we can be with the ball and I thought that we deserved, at the very least, to get a draw."
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For their part, Bilbao - who play their football in the third tier of the senior Spanish football pyramid - have lost their opening two PL International Cup matches this season, against Manchester United and Leeds United. They are yet to play Sunderland or West Ham, with the rest of Group D made up of Borussia Dortmund, Sporting CP, and the aforementioned Anderlecht.
The format of the competition means that Sunderland will only play their continental opponents in the group stage, with Wednesday’s clash against Bilbao followed by meetings with Sporting CP next week, and Borussia Dortmund on January 21st.
When is Sunderland U21s vs Athletic Bilbao?
Sunderland U21s play Athletic Bilbao in the Premier League International Cup at the Stadium of Light on Wednesday, November 12th, with kick-off scheduled for 7pm.
How to watch Sunderland U21s vs Athletic Bilbao
Tickets for Wednesday’s match at the Stadium of Light can be purchased here. Alternatively, supporters who are unable to attend can stream the game for free, via the Sunderland AFC YouTube channel.
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