Sunderland stepped up their preparations for the new season against Bundesliga opposition on Saturday
Sunderland beat FC Augsburg 1-0 in their penultimate pre-season friendly on Saturday afternoon.
Here are some of the key talking points from the game...
Sunderland look in a good place ahead of West Ham United opener
We won't know whether Sunderland are ready for the Premier League until next weekend, but this performance against Bundesliga opposition does suggest that the team is gelling well and in good nick ahead of the start of the season.
Sunderland showed two different sides to their game here and in both phases were the better side. In the first half they controlled possession and created a number of clear chances, while in the second they held their shape and limited the hosts to very little. The only frustration and ongoing concern ahead of the new campaign is that at the moment they just aren't clinical enough.
For the most part, though, this represented another step forward and in truth this is a team that looks stronger than anyone could have hoped for in the days following that win over Sheffield United at Wembley.
Enzo Le Fée might have to settle for an impact sub role next weekend
It raised one or two eyebrows last weekend when Le Fée was named on the substitute's bench against Real Betis last weekend. It underlined the feeling that he might have to settle for a place on the bench against West Ham United when he was absent from the squad here, now set to play 90 minutes against Rayo Vallecano on Sunday afternoon.
Noah Sadiki has impressed throughout pre-season, and Le Bris seemingly likes the added defensive protection he adds alongside Granit Xhaka. As for Habib Diarra, Sunderland's record signing showed why he will almost certainly start with an excellent winning goal and strong all-round performance.
In terms of the season as a whole, we shouldn't read too much into this decision. Sunderland need a deep squad, their substitutions will be absolutely crucial if they are to be competitive and Le Fée will be a massive part of their plans. This just looks more to be a reflection of Le Bris wanting his side to be solid first and foremost, and the blend of the midfield he is constructing following Xhaka's arrival. And it's most certainly credit to Sadiki, who has taken his chance to shine in recent weeks.
Don't be surprised if Le Fée makes a big impact against Rayo Vallecano, leaving his head coach with a very tricky decision to make.
Robin Roefs underlines his credentials ahead of the new season
Roefs had a composed debut against Real Betis last weekend, but had so little to do in the main that it was hard to draw any definitive conclusions. This was an excellent display, though, that underlined his credentials. There were one or two nervy moments, a cross that he came for and couldn't claim in the second half and a long shot they almost spilled into a dangerous area in the first.
Otherwise, he was excellent. Calm in possession, decisive in coming off his line and showing excellent reflexes to make a flying save to his right from a header. Though it was in the end a very poor penalty that he saved in the first half, he had earned his moment by holding his nerve and staying rooted to the spot as the Augsburg player attempted a stop-start run up. It remains to be seen whether Anthony Patterson will be fit enough to start against Rayo Vallecano on Sunday afternoon but at this stage, you would be surprised if Roefs wasn't in the starting XI.
Eliezer Mayenda endures another frustrating afternoon - but the green shoots are obvious
Mayenda is still without a goal this pre-season and his frustration over the course of the afternoon was obvious. His response to putting a penalty over the bar was fairly muted, but he was animated when missing a 1-v-1 later in the half and when unable to convert a low cross from Timur Tutierov in stoppage time. He's clearly desperate to get up and running and he'll know that with Marc Guiu set to debut on Sunday, he needs to find his shooting boots if he's to keep his place in the team.
Scratch beneath the headline misses, though, and there were massive positives on show. Mayenda has looked a little isolated at times over the course of pre-season but that wasn't the case here. His team mates were finding him in dangerous areas regularly, and in the second half the Augsburg defence struggled to handle his control and movement. This was in many ways his strongest performance since Wembley, which is worth remembering even if the penalty miss was his standout moment of the game.
As for who takes the penalty if Sunderland get one against West Ham United... that is now anyone's guess.
Jenson Seelt shows he is making rapid progress
Sunderland will still be hoping to make progress in their pursuit of a new central defender before West Ham United's visit, but the ongoing search presented Jenson Seelt with another chance to impress and there's no doubt he took it. His drive from a deep position was key to that 1-v-1 chance that Mayenda missed, and his distribution was impressive throughout. The Premier League might be a step too far at this stage and after so long out, regular football is key. A loan move when Sunderland do strengthen looks therefore to be the most likely outcome this month, but the signs are that the Black Cats have a real talent on their hands in the long run.
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