Lech Poznan are facing one of the most challenging runs of fixtures in the Europa League, and following back-to-back 4-0 defeats, anything would be an improvement when they face the far less experienced but thriving Sunderland.
Lech Poznan’s form in Poland is undeniable, but something is preventing them from carrying it over to their European evenings, and with a bit more bad luck, they could set some rather dismal Europa League records.
Their results truly highlight the difference between domestic leagues and UEFA competitions. The Railwaymen have won their last three Ekstraklasa matches 6–1, 5–1 and 4–1, but lost both their Europa League matches 4–0.
Sunderland, meanwhile, are enjoying surprisingly good form in the competition, whilst in the Premier League they have suffered four consecutive defeats – exactly the opposite situation.
Their problems in the final third are obvious, but at least they won both their matches so far in their first appearance in an international competition in over 50 years.
How the bookies view it: The Black Cats to continue their impressive European run
Bookmakers expect the home side to continue their losing run, giving the Black Cats a significant advantage, although their overall form may not support these expectations.
At the moment, you can back Lech Poznan at 15/4, a draw at 3/1 or Sunderland at 13/20.
Recent head-to-head: Lech Poznan have had bad experiences with PL sides
It comes as no surprise that these two teams have never met before. Lech Poznan do have experience playing against English sides, although they are unlikely to look back fondly on most of those encounters.
Their only victory against an English side came in 2010, when they beat Manchester City 3–1. In contrast, they have also suffered four defeats against teams from that country.
Players to watch: Brobbey’s return will be a massive boost
There is one big ‘if’ here, and that is whether we’ll see Brian Brobbey back in the squad following his hamstring injury. Manager Regis Le Bris confirmed that he had opted to give him more time to recover, but hinted that we might see him back in action on Thursday.
If that happens, it will be a massive boost for the Black Cats’ attack, and I’d certainly give him a run-out then. But we’ll have to wait until the official line-ups are announced to find out.
Probable line-ups
Lech Poznan: Lis, Gurgul, Monka, Skrzypczak, Pereira, Murawski, Kozubal, Palma, Rodriguez, Walemark, Ishak
Sunderland: Roefs, Hume, O’Nien, Danso, Methalie, Sadiki, Xhaka, Rigg, Fofana, Angulo, Tutierov
Anything else catch the eye?
As a Premier League side, Sunderland should be a cut above Lech Poznan. But their defence is in a terrible state and it is difficult to trust them too much.
In my view, this is a brilliant opportunity for the home side to finally get off the mark in the competition. But I don’t think they’ll win – quite the opposite, in fact.
I simply reckon it’s only a matter of time before they score, and the Black Cats are quite vulnerable at the moment. Even the minnows Torreense scored against them in the previous round.
GambleAware