Reinildo Shines as Sunderland Triumphs Over Rennes
Sunderland’s latest pre-season outing brought a sharp, energetic win over Rennes – and a clear reminder that a few shirts in this side will not be handed over easily. At the heart of it all stood Reinildo, relentless down the left and rock solid at the back, delivering a Man of the Match display just as fresh competition looms for his position.
This was a friendly in name only. The intensity, the duels, the tackles that bit a little harder than July usually allows – it all felt like a squad trying to nail down places before the real thing starts.
Roefs calm, defence mostly in control
Robin Roefs barely had a serious save to make. He was beaten from the spot by a superb penalty he could do nothing about, and outside of that Rennes rarely tested him with anything more than routine efforts. The one real blot came very early, when a wide-open chance went begging for the visitors and should have at least worked the keeper. With the ball at his feet, though, Roefs showed real composure, spinning away from the press in one slick move that set the tone for Sunderland’s build-up from the back. A solid 6/10.
On the right, Trai Hume played a more traditional full-back role than the inverted brief he often takes on. Sunderland lost a little control in the first half without that extra body inside, but Hume did the primary job: he defended well, picked his moments, and then, typically, still found a way to influence the scoreline. Ghosting into the box from a set piece, he passed home from eight yards to cap a tidy 7/10 display.
Dan Ballard lived right on the edge. He defended strongly for long stretches and was a major threat in the Rennes box from set pieces, racking up multiple efforts on goal. But his afternoon carried a couple of big warning signs. He burst out of defence early on, lost the ball and watched a lob drift wide with Roefs stranded, then later conceded a sloppy penalty. A busy, uneven 6/10.
Alongside him, Luke O’Nien had a quieter defensive assignment but still had to switch on at a key moment, reacting sharply to head a dangerous cross over his own bar from close range. On the ball he was excellent, pinging passes out of defence and whipping in one superb cross that Reinildo could only steer wide. A composed 7/10.
Reinildo raises the bar on the left
If Dayann Methalie is coming to take his place, he will have to rip it from him. Reinildo was outstanding. Rennes found nothing down his flank; every time they thought they had a lane, he snapped back with a recovery tackle. When Sunderland attacked, he was suddenly 30 yards higher, overlapping with real purpose.
He combined well with Chemsdine Talbi, surged beyond him for one move that ended with a deflected shot wide, and then kept arriving in the box. He just missed the target from O’Nien’s brilliant delivery and later forced a stunning save from Brice Samba after meeting a Chris Rigg cross. Defensively dominant, constantly dangerous going the other way – an emphatic 8/10 and clear Man of the Match.
Talbi, ahead of him, offered flashes. He drove down the left with some decent bursts and repeatedly looked to deliver early, always searching for a cross rather than taking defenders on himself. It was tidy rather than explosive, worth a 6/10.
Xhaka dictates, Sadiki and Le Fee bring the legs
Granit Xhaka did what Granit Xhaka does. Wearing the armband, he set the tempo, kept the ball moving and slipped in a couple of clever, defence-splitting passes that came within a touch of putting Sunderland runners clean through. It was the sort of metronomic 7/10 performance managers build midfields around.
Alongside him, Noah Sadiki emptied the tank. He covered huge swathes of grass, plugging gaps at the back one minute and then tearing up the left flank the next whenever space opened up. It was classic Sadiki: industrious, disciplined, and vital to the structure. Another well-earned 7/10.
Enzo Le Fee knitted everything together. He popped up all over the pitch, constantly showing for the ball and giving teammates an easy out under pressure. A few of his runs sliced straight through Rennes’ shape, drawing fouls and opening lanes. It was a clever, busy 7/10 outing that hinted at more to come.
Angulo’s line-running and Brobbey’s brute force
Nilson Angulo had one of those games that drives defenders mad and coaches slightly crazy. He produced some really bright moments down the right, worked hard without the ball and stretched play with his runs. Then the flag kept going up. A few too many offsides when he’d been found with good diagonals dulled his impact and left him on a 6/10.
Brian Brobbey, by contrast, made his moments count. He bullied the visiting defence, throwing his weight around, backing in, dragging centre-backs into places they didn’t want to go. His goal summed him up. He burst in behind, saw his first effort saved, then simply shrugged off the defender and slid the rebound home. A menace all afternoon and a deserved 7/10.
Bench lifts the tempo
The changes did not slow Sunderland down. They cranked it up.
Romaine Mundle came on and looked like a player walking a little taller. Perhaps the new contract talk has put a spring in his step, because he was electric. Direct, aggressive with the ball, always looking to drive at his man. His moment of pure quality came from a dead ball: a thumping free kick that crashed off the crossbar with Samba beaten. A vibrant 7/10 cameo.
Chris Rigg continued his eye-catching pre-season. Physically he looks more ready, and he wasted no time making an impact. His delivery into the box was on point, and he should have had an assist when his excellent cross found Reinildo, only for Samba to intervene. Another assured 7/10 from a teenager playing like he belongs.
Habib Diarra slotted in smoothly alongside Xhaka, effectively mirroring Sadiki’s role. He kept the structure intact, covered the right spaces and moved the ball sensibly for a steady 6/10.
Wilson Isidor offered a different kind of threat up top. He constantly played on the shoulder, dragging the Rennes back line deeper and carving out room for those behind him with his unselfish runs. It didn’t bring him a goal, but it did bring him a useful 6/10.
On the right, Jocelin Ta Bi produced a handful of sharp, eye-catching dribbles, the ball seemingly glued to his boots as he slalomed past challenges. It was a short but stylish contribution, worth a 6/10.
Reinildo’s performance will dominate the post-match chatter, and rightly so. With Methalie on the way, left-back is about to become one of the fiercest battles in this squad. On this evidence, nobody is prising that shirt away without a fight.
