I watched Sunderland's Europa League draw in Poznan and this is what I made of their performance

In the end the feeling for Sunderland was one of frustration but it was hard to begrudge Lech Poznan their point.

This was an excellent, wide-open game of football that swing from end to end almost from start to finish. For Sunderland there was encouragement that after the dismal defeat to Bournemouth there was energy and intensity and chances throughout.

They should have scored more and yet there’s no doubt that the hosts at times found it too easy to play through them and missed some golden opportunities of their own. Only a stunning Robin Roefs save prevented them going ahead shortly after they had cancelled out Timur Tutierov’s early goal, and with better finishing they might well have landed a famous result of their own.

A point was about right, not the result Sunderland came for but one that does still leave them very well placed in the league phase more broadly.

Noticeable from Sunderland in response to their defeat at Bournemouth was an energy and a very aggressive press from the off, going man-for-man all over the pitch with Nordi Mukiele pushing high from right back.

It means that there were always going to be opportunities for both sides, and the approach paid off for Sunderland immediately as Nilson Angulo pounced on a poor backpass from Lis in the Poznan goal. From there he did superbly, quickly working space for the cross where Timur Tutierov stooped to head home his first senior goal having come so close a week previous. It would not be one-way traffic though and the simplest way to describe the opening half hour would be to say that there is simply no way of covering every chance in a remarkably end-to-end contest. Roefs had to make a smart save within moments of the opener, but Sunderland themselves were a constant threat with Habib Diarra shooting straight at the goalkeeper from a decent position. The two teams then traded big chances moments after Walemark was played through and fired into the side netting, a shot saved from Xhaka well saved but the follow up from Fofana cracking off the inside of the post and away. Sunderland were caught high and as Danso slipped just for a moment, Hakans was in. To Sunderland's relief, he fired wide of the far post from a very good position.

The positive for Sunderland was the energy in the side and that both Angulo and Fofana were looking far more dangerous in recent weeks, and as the half wound down the hosts just dropped the intensity a little. It had been a wild first half in which Sunderland had been lucky not to concede, but they ended it well placed and with a reasonable amount of control.

The start of the second half broadly followed a similar rhythm to the end of the first, Sunderland dominating possession and getting in some very decent positions as Diarra and Fofana pushed efforts wide from decent positions and Mukiele had a shot pushed over the bar after Angulo had again done well to pinch the ball. Though less frequent than earlier in the game, the hosts retained a big threat and were again left to curse poor finishing as Walemark worked a decent shooting position but dragged his effort wide. Palma then missed an even better chance at the back post shortly after Le Bris had rang the changes, thumping a volley wide after a cross found him in space.

Sunderland’s goal could only lead such a charmed life for so long, and they were finally undone from a set piece. Though the Black Cats defended the initially delivery under their post, they couldn’t apply enough pressure on the loose ball and substitute Bengtsson fired an excellent finish into the near corner. The Black Cats would have been behind minutes later if not for a stunning save from Robin Roefs, an outstanding block at close range after Ishak had been left free at the back post to turn a cross into Walemark just yards out.

Sunderland did steady after that flurry of chances, and went close when Fofana blazed wide from a good position and when Methalie could only find the side netting after a strong solo run through the heart of the pitch. They ended the game in the ascendancy but couldn’t quite make it count.

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