Reinildo Impresses as Sunderland Defeats Rennes

Pre-season friendlies are supposed to be gentle tune-ups. This one had a bit more edge. Sunderland’s players treated Rennes to a full-blooded workout, with a standout display from a left-back who clearly has no intention of surrendering his place any time soon.

Roefs calm, defence mostly in control

• Robin Roefs – 6/10 The keeper’s afternoon was oddly quiet. He had no chance with a well-taken penalty and, aside from a handful of tame efforts, wasn’t stretched. The big warning came early: a wide-open Rennes chance that really should have hit the target. With the ball at his feet, though, Roefs looked assured, spinning away from the press in the opening stages and setting the tone for Sunderland’s build-up.
• Trai Hume – 7/10 Back to basics on the right. Hume played a more traditional right-back role, which tightened things up defensively but slightly reduced Sunderland’s control in the first half. He still found a way to make the difference at the other end, ghosting into space and calmly passing home from eight yards after a set piece. Reliable, disciplined, and still on the scoresheet.
• Dan Ballard – 6/10 Ballard lived on the edge. He defended strongly for long spells and was a constant nuisance in the Rennes box from set pieces, getting on the end of several deliveries. But the game also exposed his riskier side. An early surge out of defence ended with him losing the ball and watching a lob drift just wide, and a clumsy moment in his own area handed Rennes their penalty.
• Luke O’Nien – 7/10 This was O’Nien in control. Defensively, he had a relatively straightforward afternoon, though he had to react sharply to nod a dangerous cross over his own bar from close range. With the ball, he opened the pitch up, pinging some excellent passes out of defence. His best attacking contribution was a superb cross that Reinildo could only guide wide.

Reinildo raises the bar on the left

Reinildo – 8/10 (Man of the Match) If Dayann Methalie is coming to challenge for that left-back spot, he’ll know exactly what standard he has to hit. Reinildo shut down everything on his flank, snapping into recovery tackles whenever Rennes threatened to break through.

He didn’t stop there. Going forward, he repeatedly surged into clever positions. He overlapped Chemsdine Talbi and saw a good effort deflected wide, then just failed to convert O’Nien’s teasing cross. Later, he forced a superb save from Brice Samba after meeting a Chris Rigg delivery. Strong at one end, dangerous at the other – this was a full-blooded audition for the season ahead.

Xhaka steers, midfield legs do the rest

• Granit Xhaka (C) – 7/10 Sunderland’s metronome. Xhaka kept everything ticking, recycling possession and dictating tempo. Twice he split the Rennes back line with incisive passes that came within a whisker of sending a teammate clean through. It was the kind of calm, authoritative display that lets everyone around him play with freedom.
• Noah Sadiki – 7/10 Classic Sadiki. He covered huge swathes of the pitch, plugging gaps in defence and then springing up the left flank whenever space opened. His work without the ball underpinned Sunderland’s structure, his surges with it helped turn defence into attack.
• Chemsdine Talbi – 6/10 Talbi offered energy and width down the left. He produced some sharp bursts and, almost by instinct, looked to deliver early crosses rather than drive inside. It kept Rennes’ back line honest, even if he didn’t quite find the killer ball.
• Enzo Le Fée – 7/10 Le Fée floated everywhere. He constantly showed for the ball, giving his teammates an easy option and knitting moves together. A few of his slaloming runs through midfield caused Rennes real problems and hinted at the kind of creativity that can unlock tighter games when the real stuff starts.

Angulo and Brobbey stretch Rennes

• Nilson Angulo – 6/10 Angulo’s performance was a mix of promise and frustration. He produced some bright, direct moments down the right and worked hard when Sunderland didn’t have the ball. His timing, though, let him down. Too many offsides, especially after good diagonals picked him out in space, blunted what could have been a very productive outing.
• Brian Brobbey – 7/10 Brobbey bullied the visiting defence. He relished the physical battle, constantly occupying centre-backs and running in behind. His goal summed him up: he burst clear, saw his first effort saved, then simply shrugged off the defender and slid the rebound home. Persistence, power, and a deserved reward.

Impact from the bench

• Romaine Mundle – 7/10 Mundle came on and instantly looked like a player with a point to prove. Perhaps the new contract talk has lifted him, because he played with real swagger. He drove at defenders whenever he had the ball and nearly produced the moment of the match, smashing a stunning free-kick against the crossbar.
• Chris Rigg – 7/10 Rigg’s pre-season keeps gathering momentum. Physically, he looks more ready, and he made an immediate impact after coming on. His standout contribution was a superb cross for Reinildo, which really should have brought an assist. Once again, he looked completely at home at this level.
• Habib Diarra – 6/10 Diarra slotted in neatly alongside Xhaka, effectively taking on Sadiki’s responsibilities. He helped maintain the balance in midfield, offering security and simple distribution without needing to dominate the ball.
• Wilson Isidor – 6/10 Isidor lived on the shoulder of the last defender. His constant movement dragged Rennes’ back line around and opened lanes for teammates to exploit, even if the final pass to him never quite materialised.
• Jocelin Ta Bi – 6/10 Ta Bi’s cameo brought a bit of flair to the right flank. He produced a couple of clever dribbles where the ball seemed glued to his feet, teasing defenders and keeping Sunderland on the front foot late on.

On a day when several players strengthened their case, it was Reinildo who made the loudest statement. With new competition on the way, he chose not to look over his shoulder, but to play like a man determined to make that left-back spot his own when the season kicks off.