Lech Poznan vs Sunderland: preview
We provide predictions for the encounter between Lech Poznan and Sunderland in the third round of the 2026/27 Europa League Group Stage. "Sunderland" wants to extend their winning streak in the Europa League, while "Lech" aims to secure their first points.
Key moments
Lech Poznan
1. In the Europa League, "Lech" started with two heavy defeats
The team is progressing confidently in the Polish league: in the first ten matches they secured eight wins with only one loss, and the last three games ended in 15:3 blowouts. "Lech" sits in second place in the Ekstraklasa but leads in points lost. In contrast, the early Europa League rounds were much tougher. First, "Lech" was eliminated without a chance in the away match against "Crystal Palace", and then suffered a heavy defeat at home to "Bayer Leverkusen". In both cases, the team conceded four goals without reply, and the first three came before halftime. With a goal difference of "-8", "Lech" is positioned 36th in the overall table.
2. Defender Monka will recover after November
The 19‑year‑old Polish international suffered an injury in the last Europa League match, leaving the field in the 15th minute. Initially, it was thought the injury was not serious, but Monka will only recover after the next international break. Until then, striker Terry Yegbe will replace him. The good news is the return of Radoslav Murawski. The full‑back was suspended for the red card in the match against "Crystal Palace", so he will likely feature in the defensive line from the start.
3. "Lech" enjoys productive matches
At least 92% of recent games were "superior": 12 of 13 matches across all competitions. The only exception was the home league match against "Raków" in early September (1:0). It is rare to finish with three goals, and even that limit was reached only in three matches. In the analysed period, we saw an average of 4.38 goals per 90 minutes. In most cases, goals were scored in both directions, but in most Europa League matches the spectacle came only from the opponents. "Lech" scores in almost every Ekstraklasa match, and in the European club qualification phase they also managed to score four, five, and even seven goals per game. However, in the main phase of the Europa League serious problems emerged.
Sunderland
1. "Sunderland" navigates the Premier League but remains untroubled in the Europa League
The picture is the complete opposite of "Lech". Recently, "Sunderland" lost to "Bournemouth" (0:2), marking their fourth consecutive league defeat, three of which were goalless. After the first seven Premier League rounds, the club has only one win and four points. As a result, on Monday "Sunderland" fell to the bottom position.
Nevertheless, in the Europa League they earned the maximum six points. Both victories were hard: at home against "AZ" they won thanks to a single penalty goal, and against "Torrense" they saved the match in the 93rd minute (2:1). However, in the Europa League the team at least improved its mood after the Premier League failure.
2. With full rotation, the main defender Danzó can be used
In "Sunderland" the Premier League is prioritised, so in European matches the coach Le Brice keeps a large portion of the starters. Last week, the rotation also included Kevin Danzó: the Austrian was on the bench for the entire match against "Torrense". However, on Sunday the defender received a straight red card, which will cause him to miss the next league match. Additionally, against "Bournemouth" Danzó only played 16 minutes. It is logical for Kevin to start.
3. "Sunderland" rarely plays without scoring
At the start of the season, "Sunderland" was relatively solid: after the disappointing debut against "Ipswich" (1:2), they only conceded one goal in three matches. However, in the following six games, the team only managed one goalless game and regularly conceded at least two goals. They did not have a goalless match in four consecutive games.
The only goalless game since mid‑September occurred in the Europa League, but then "Sunderland" played at home. Away, they lose a goal in each match of the season, and the series has been running since March: already ten matches.
Approximate formations
4-4-2-4-2-3-11
Lech 15, Gurgul 59, Yegbe 72, Skjipchak 2, Pereira 14, Bengtsson 43, Kozubal 22, Murawski 10, Volemark 77, Palma 9, Ishak 22, Rufs 32, Hume 4, Danzó 15, Alderete 6, Metali 29, Ahoka 27, Sadik 10, Angulo 28, Le Fe 39, Fofana 57, Tooters
Trend predictions
In five of the last seven home matches for "Lech", and in four of the six away matches for "Sunderland", at least three goals were scored. TB 2.5 at 1.81.
"Lech" did not lose seven of eight previous home matches. "Sunderland" did not win in four of five previous home matches.
1X at 2.21.
Prediction
Lech Poznan vs Sunderland 22.10.2026 20:45
"Lech" feels comfortable in their home stadium, but the start in the Europa League was unconvincing: the team earned no points, suffered heavy defeats against "Crystal Palace" and "Bayer Leverkusen". In both cases, they failed to score even once, and the opponents sent four goals without reply. After two rounds, "Lech" closes the overall tournament table. Despite the tough schedule, these results seem, if not embarrassing, very bleak.
In contrast, "Sunderland" faces serious problems in the Premier League: Monday already saw the fourth consecutive defeat, dropping them to the bottom. On the other hand, the early Europa League rounds delivered the maximum six points possible. However, the victories on the international stage were hard: "Sunderland" won by a narrow margin. But now this trick can repeat for the third consecutive time.
Prediction: 1-2
