Sunderland find themselves bottom of the Premier League table but they have made a perfect start to their Europa League campaign and will be looking to make it three wins on the spin at Lech Poznan on Thursday.
The Black Cats finished seventh in their first season back in the Premier League to secure European football but that is having an impact on their performances domestically.
However, while Sunderland have won only once in seven top-flight outings, they are two from two in the Europa League following victories over AZ Alkmaar and Torreense.
A trip to Poznan looks like another excellent opportunity as Lech have been comfortably beaten in their two Europa League fixtures, losing 4-0 at Crystal Palace before suffering the same fate when entertaining Bayer Leverkusen.
Lech do sit second in the Polish Ekstraklasa, having won eight of their 10 games, but a showdown with a Premier League outfit represents a huge hike in class.
Lech Poznan v Sunderland Tips Summary
Best Bet - Sunderland to win & under 2.5 goals @ 10/3
Alternative Bet - Radoslaw Murawski to be shown a card @ 11/4
Bet Builder - Under 4 goals, Patrik Walemark 1+ shots on target & Nordi Mukiele 2+ fouls committed @ 23/4
Lech Poznan v Sunderland Prediction
Best Bet: Sunderland to win & under 2.5 goals @ 10/3
With only six goals scored in seven Premier League outings, Sunderland are clearly lacking in attacking areas, but it may not take much to see off the challenge of Lech Poznan.
The Black Cats have lost three of their last four league games to nil but they have shown their quality in the Europa League, having defeated AZ 1-0 at the Stadium of Light before a come-from-behind 2-1 success at Torreense.
Sunderland will at some point have to prioritise the Premier League but winning their first three matches in Europe would stand them in good stead and one goal may be enough to land the spoils.
Lech have lost 4-0 to Palace and Leverkusen in the Europa League but Sunderland are regularly involved in cagey clashes, with seven of their last nine matches going under 2.5 goals.
Alternative Bet: Radoslaw Murawski to be shown a card @ 11/4
Radoslaw Murawski should return to Lech Poznan’s midfield after missing the 4-0 defeat against Bayer Leverkusen due to suspension and another card could come his way.
Murawski picked up two yellows in the 4-0 loss at Crystal Palace, having made four fouls, and he is a player that likes to make his presence felt in a challenge.
The 32-year-old was booked in a 6-1 league win over Korona on Sunday and the defensive protector has already been carded seven times in all competitions this season.
Lech Poznan v Sunderland Bet Builder Tip
Under 4 goals
Patrik Walemark 1+ shots on target
Nordi Mukiele 2+ fouls committed
Pays 23/4
Only one of Sunderland’s 10 matches this season have featured four or more goals and the trend is unlikely to change against Lech Poznan, who are still searching for their first league-phase goal.
Patrik Walemark is a threat that Sunderland will need to be wary of as he has five league goals this season, while he also troubled the opposition goalkeeper in the defeats to Leverkusen and Palace.
With a small squad nursing injuries, Sunderland won’t be able to make wholesale changes and Nordi Mukiele is likely to start at right-back.
Mukiele has committed three fouls in both of the Black Cats’ Europa League fixtures and may mistime a couple more challenges.
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Key Match Stats
Lech Poznan have lost their opening two league-phase matches 4-0
Sunderland have won their two Europa League games by a single goal
Seven of Sunderland’s last nine games have featured two or fewer goals
Both teams have scored in only four of Lech’s nine home games this season
Lech have won only three of their last seven fixtures
Sunderland have scored two or more in just two of their 10 outings this term
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
