Sunderland had the ball in the net after two minutes, hit the woodwork, forced a string of saves and still came home from Poland with a single point. A 1-1 draw at Lech Poznan was a frustrating night for Regis Le Bris, whose side had eight shots on target in the first half alone and could not turn that dominance into a second goal.
Tutierov scores inside two minutes
The start could hardly have gone better. Goalkeeper Mateusz Lis made a loose pass, Nilson Angulo pounced and crossed, and Timur Tutierov headed in his first goal for the club. He was only in the side because Wilson Isidor and Brian Brobbey were injured, and Thomas Meunier and Dan Ballard were also missing, so Le Bris was short of options across the pitch.
Lech had a few chances to level during a chaotic opening spell. Robin Roefs made an impressive save to keep Sunderland in front, and Daniel Hakans fired wide after being sent through by Pablo Rodriguez. At the other end, Malick Fofana struck the woodwork, and Lis kept on saving. Le Bris must have wondered how his team went to the break with only a one-goal lead.
Bengtsson punishes the waste
The hosts had a warning shortly after the hour when substitute Leo Bengtsson, unmarked at the back post, volleyed over. He made up for it with 20 minutes left. Some sloppy defending let him find space inside the area and he hit a sweet half-volley for Lech's first goal of this Europa League campaign.
Sunderland did not collapse after that. They rode out a short spell of pressure and nearly won it late on, when Chris Rigg curled an effort from outside the area just past the post. It would have been a second away European win in a row.
Positives, and a bigger test on Sunday
Sunderland had won both of their previous Europa League games, beating AZ Alkmaar and Portuguese side Torreense, and this was a reminder of how hard European football can be. The context is awkward. They slipped to the bottom of the Premier League last weekend after a fourth defeat in a row, yet they looked a different team for long stretches in Poznan, with Angulo and Fofana both lively on the flanks.
The draw does little to damage their hopes of reaching the knockout stages. Next comes a home game against Dinamo Zagreb on 5 November, but the more urgent issue is Leeds United on Sunday, and Le Bris will want some of this confidence to follow his players back home.
Match facts: Lech Poznan 1-1 Sunderland, UEFA Europa League league phase, Thursday 22 October 2026. Goals: Timur Tutierov (Sunderland, second minute), Leo Bengtsson (Lech Poznan, 20 minutes from time). Next: Sunderland v Dinamo Zagreb, 5 November, 20:00 GMT; Lech Poznan travel to Benfica the same night.
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