Reinildo Shines as Sunderland Impress in Rennes Friendly

This was a pre-season friendly in name only. Sunderland treated it like an audition, and no one grabbed the spotlight more firmly than Reinildo, who delivered a Man of the Match display at both ends of the pitch.

Player Ratings

Robin Roefs – 6/10 Beaten by a superb penalty and rarely extended beyond routine stops. Rennes barely tested him with anything meaningful, though he did get away with one early scare when a free shot flashed wide instead of on target. Far more eye-catching was his composure with the ball at his feet, 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 at right-back and all the better defensively for it. He sacrificed a bit of the usual control higher up the pitch in the first half, but he locked down his flank and chose his moments to push on. When he did, it counted: arriving in the box from a set piece, he stayed calm and passed the ball home from around eight yards. Another goal, another reminder of his growing influence.
Dan Ballard – 6/10 In the thick of it from start to finish. Ballard attacked set pieces with intent and saw several efforts blocked or diverted, but his afternoon was far from spotless. Charging out from the back early on, he surrendered possession and watched nervously as the resulting lob drifted wide. Later, a clumsy challenge in the box handed Rennes their penalty. Strong off the ball, but those lapses dragged his rating down.
Luke O’Nien – 7/10 Barely troubled for long spells, yet he stayed switched on when it mattered. One dangerous cross looked destined to be turned in until O’Nien reacted sharply, steering it over his own bar from close range. On the ball he was progressive and ambitious, pinging passes out of defence and delivering one outstanding cross that Reinildo could only guide wide. A quietly authoritative performance.
Reinildo – 8/10 (Man of the Match) This was a statement. With Dayann Methalie about to arrive and competition on the horizon, Reinildo responded with a display full of bite, energy and quality. He shut down everything down his side, timing recovery tackles perfectly when Rennes threatened to break. Then he went the other way and caused chaos. He overlapped relentlessly, linked well with Chemsdine Talbi, saw one effort deflected wide, then ghosted into the box to meet O’Nien’s cross and miss by inches. Later, he forced an excellent save from Brice Samba after meeting a Chris Rigg delivery. On another day he walks off with a brace; as it was, he walked off having underlined exactly why he will not give up his place easily.
Granit Xhaka (C) – 7/10 The metronome in the middle. Xhaka dictated the tempo, took the sting out of any Rennes pressure and kept Sunderland moving through the thirds. Twice he split the defence with clever forward passes that were only a fraction away from sending a teammate clean through. Calm, controlled, and always available.
Noah Sadiki – 7/10 Did the dirty work and never stopped. Sadiki covered huge distances, dropping in to plug gaps at the back and then surging up the left when space opened. It was the sort of tireless, selfless display that lets others shine while he knits everything together.
Chemsdine Talbi – 6/10 Busy down the left, always willing to drive at his full-back and hit early crosses. He offered decent thrust without quite delivering the killer moment himself, preferring to supply rather than attack the box. A solid, if unspectacular, outing.
Enzo Le Fee – 7/10 Constant movement, constant options. Le Fee drifted into pockets all over the pitch, giving the man in possession a simple pass almost every time. When he carried the ball, he did it with real class, gliding past challenges and unsettling Rennes’ shape. His runs didn’t always lead to the final ball, but they repeatedly opened doors.
Nilson Angulo – 6/10 Flashes of real promise down the right. Angulo carried a threat whenever he received those diagonals into space and worked hard without the ball. His downfall came in his timing: too many runs ended with the flag up, especially when he had found good positions. The intent was there; the discipline needs to follow.
Brian Brobbey – 7/10 A handful all afternoon. Brobbey bullied defenders, pinned them back and made life uncomfortable with his physical presence. His goal summed him up: he burst in behind, saw his first effort saved, then simply shrugged off the defender and slid the rebound home. Persistence and power rewarded.

Substitutes

Romaine Mundle – 7/10 A different player once he came on. Mundle looked liberated, perhaps lifted by the talk around a new contract, and attacked every defender in front of him. He was direct, aggressive on the dribble and almost produced the moment of the match when he whipped a stunning free-kick against the crossbar. The confidence is back.
Chris Rigg – 7/10 Pre-season continues to suit him. Rigg arrived and immediately raised the tempo, looking stronger physically and sharper in his decision-making. His standout contribution was a superb cross for Reinildo, which really should have brought an assist. Another step forward for a player who looks increasingly ready.
Habib Diarra – 6/10 Slid into the structure alongside Xhaka and mirrored much of Sadiki’s work. He kept things tidy, offered legs in midfield and maintained the balance without grabbing headlines.
Wilson Isidor – 6/10 Lived on the shoulder of the last defender, constantly stretching the Rennes back line. His movement created lanes for others, even if he didn’t get the decisive touch himself. Unselfish running that coaches notice.
Jocelin Ta Bi – 6/10 Brought a touch of street football to the right flank. Ta Bi produced a series of neat, close-control dribbles where the ball seemed glued to his boots, teasing defenders and helping Sunderland see the game out in the opposition half.

With performances like this, competition for places is about to get fierce. Reinildo, in particular, has made sure that when Methalie walks through the door, the left-back spot will have to be earned, not handed over.