Sunderland secured a dramatic 2‑1 victory over Portuguese second‑division side Torre ense in their second Europa League group‑stage match, thanks to a 93rd‑minute strike from midfielder Noah Sadiki. The win, achieved after a tense 53‑year wait for an away European victory, saw the Black Cats recover from a 1‑0 halftime deficit to earn back‑to‑back triumphs in the competition.
Torre ense opened the scoring early when centre‑back Volnei Feltes delivered a 25‑yard curling effort that found the top‑right corner, giving the hosts a surprising lead. Sunderland struggled to create clear chances in the first half, with a close‑range header from Timur Tuterov off a long throw by Luke O’Nien being ruled out for a soft foul. The visitors were unable to find the net until the 57th minute, when they had a late penalty denied after a VAR review.
Regis Le Bris, the Portuguese coach, had made seven changes before the match and was forced to bring in regular first‑team players such as Enzo Le Fee, Granit Xhaka, Reinildo and Nordi Mukiele midway through the second half. Mukiele’s decisive cross set up a headed equaliser for Jules Ahoka, who used his pace to guide the ball into the bottom‑right corner and level the score at 1‑1.
The game remained evenly balanced until stoppage time, when Xhaka supplied a low pass to Sadiki inside the box. The midfielder slammed a powerful volley into the net, sending the Sunderland supporters into a frenzy and securing the win for the English side. Sadiki later praised his teammates’ mentality, saying, “We were down but we came back. That’s what we needed to do, and now we focus on the next game.”
With the victory, Sunderland move closer to the top of their Europa League group, while Torre ense will look to regroup after a hard‑fought defeat. The next match for Sunderland will test whether the team can maintain the momentum gained from this dramatic comeback.