Sunderland got back to winning ways in their latest pre-season friendly against FC Augsburg
Sunderland ran out deserved 1-0 winners over Bundesliga side FC Augsburg in their penultimate pre-season friendly.
Habib Diarra’s early strike gave the Black Cats the lead in Germany and though they were indebted to Robin Roefs for a penalty save, they created a number of chances and should have extended their lead. Eliezer Mayenda missed a penalty of his own and had some big opportunities which he couldn’t convert, Sunderland stepping up the intensity well as the season nears.
Sunderland started confidently against an aggressive Augsburg press, controlling possession and looking sharp across the pitch. They had their reward inside the first 15 minutes, a nice team move down the left-hand channel that saw Xhaka find Adingra on the edge of the box. Adingra played a short pass into Diarra, who drove an excellent first-time effort across the goalkeeper and into the near corner.
Adingra was again in the heart of the action moments later as he held onto possession well and released Reinildo on the overlap, the full back scythed down inside the box and a penalty rightly given. Eliezer Mayenda stepped up but fired his effort over the crossbar, minutes later dragging one just wide of the post after a good pass from the impressive Jenson Seelt.
It looked like those misses might prove costly when the hosts were controversially awarded a penalty moments later, Sadiki harshly ruled to have fouled when he made a challenge just inside the box. Robin Roefs did well, holding his nerve during Tietz's stop-start run up and then rewarded with a very comfortable save low to his left. Though the tempo of the half undoubtedly dropped towards the closing stages, Sunderland again went close to extending their advantage when Seelt drove through the middle of the pitch from deep. He found Diarra who in turn released Mayenda with a through ball, the striker's low effort just blocked by the trailing leg of the goalkeeper.
Sunderland had a brief scare at the start of the second half when Roefs spilled a long-range shot he wasn't anticipating, but the goalkeeper recovered well to gather and the visitors then swept up the pitch on the break. They had a golden opportunity to double their advantage when Diarra's pass ran just beyond Mayenda, finding Adingra's whose close-range shot was cleared superbly by the covering defender.
Roefs then made an excellent save flying to his right after a cross from the right-hand side was flicked towards goal, the goalkeeper then jumping on the rebound. The tempo of the game had increased significantly and though Augsburg looked significantly more dangerous, Sunderland still threatened on the break in particular. The game was swinging from end to end, Talbi denied well by the goalkeeper after Mayenda found him with a lovely turn and through ball.
More good play from Mayenda won a free kick right on the edge of the area, Xhaka stepping up to hammer his effort off the woodwork with the goalkeeper well beaten.
Habing largely controlled possession in the first half, Sunderland were sitting deeper in the second half and looking to play more on the break, and will have been pleased that their defensive shape was limiting the hosts to little as the game headed towards the final ten minutes or so. The Black Cats were fortunate when Roefs came for a corner but didn’t reach it, Reinildo perhaps doing just enough to put off the striker whose effort ran well wide.
There was time for Mayenda to get one more sight of goal when substitute Timur Tutierov broke into the box, but the striker couldn’t connect with his cutback and the chance passes. Tutierov had replaced Noah Sadiki minutes previously after the midfielder took a whack to the ankle, with his substitution hopefully just a precaution ahead of next weekend.
Sunderland deserved their win and produced probably their most complete performance of the pre-season campaign so far, only poor finishing preventing a more emphatic scoreline.
Sunderland XI: Roefs; Hume, Ballard, Seelt (Jenson Jones, 79), Reinildo; Xhaka, Sadiki (Tutierov, 84), Diarra; Talbi, Adingra, Mayenda
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