Reinildo Shines as Sunderland Impress Against Rennes

Sunderland’s latest pre-season outing against Rennes felt less like a gentle tune-up and more like a quiet statement. There were lapses, there was a sloppy penalty, but there was also edge, energy and a left-back playing as if his place is under direct threat — because it is.

Roefs calm after early scare

Robin Roefs (6/10) had a strange afternoon. He could do nothing about a superbly taken penalty and, beyond that, Rennes rarely stretched him. Yet the game almost started with a jolt: a wide-open early chance that really should have hit the target. Once that let-off passed, Roefs settled, showing real composure with the ball at his feet, spinning away from the press and helping Sunderland play out with confidence.

Hume’s old-school shift, Ballard’s mixed bag

Trai Hume (7/10) dialled things back to basics. Rather than the inverted, drifting role he has often taken on, he stuck to a more traditional right-back brief and defended it well. Sunderland lost a bit of control in the first half as a consequence, but Hume still found time to arrive in the box and finish smartly from eight yards via a set-piece routine. Reliable at one end, ruthless at the other.

Dan Ballard (6/10) lived right on the edge. He was heavily involved, a constant threat when he went up for set pieces and generally solid without the ball. But two moments will nag at him. First, he burst out of defence, lost it, and could only watch as a lob drifted wide. Then came the big error: a clumsy challenge and a penalty conceded. A performance full of aggression, just not always under control.

O’Nien picks passes, Xhaka dictates

Luke O’Nien (7/10) had one of his quieter days defensively in terms of volume, but not in terms of focus. When a dangerous cross flashed into the box, he was switched on, arching his neck to head over from close range and snuff out the danger. On the ball he was bold, fizzing passes out of defence and bending in one superb cross that Reinildo could only steer wide.

In midfield, Granit Xhaka (7/10) did exactly what Sunderland brought him in to do. He set the tempo, kept the ball moving and occasionally ripped through Rennes with incisive, defence-splitting passes that were inches away from putting a teammate clean through. It was the familiar metronome act, with just enough risk to keep Rennes guessing.

Sadiki’s engine, Talbi’s directness, Le Fee everywhere

Noah Sadiki (7/10) covered the pitch like it was his personal training ground. He plugged gaps at the back, then surged up the left whenever space opened. It was the full Sadiki package: energy, discipline, and a willingness to carry the ball into advanced areas.

Chemsdine Talbi (6/10) offered those sharp, direct bursts down the left flank. He rarely looked to take defenders on inside; his first instinct was to hit the byline and swing a cross into the box. Functional rather than flashy, but it kept Rennes pinned back and gave Sunderland a consistent outlet.

Enzo Le Fee (7/10) floated into every pocket of space he could find. He constantly showed for the ball, always an option for the man in possession. When he drove forward, Rennes struggled to track him, his smooth, classy runs repeatedly asking questions of their shape.

Angulo and Brobbey trouble the Rennes back line

Nilson Angulo (6/10) was a contradiction: bright and frustrating in equal measure. On the right, he produced some eye-catching moments, worked hard out of possession and stretched the play well. Then came the offsides — too many of them, especially given how well his teammates were finding him with diagonals. The intent was right; the timing wasn’t.

Brian Brobbey (7/10) gave the visiting defence a long afternoon. He relished the physical battle, constantly putting himself about and running in behind. His goal summed him up. The first effort was saved, but he simply brushed off the defender and slid home the rebound with authority. Persistence, power, payoff.

Bench sparks: Mundle’s confidence and Rigg’s impact

The substitutes kept the intensity high. Romaine Mundle (7/10) looked like a player lifted by his situation. The talk around a new contract seems to have given him a jolt; he came on buzzing, direct, and aggressive with the ball. His best moment almost produced a highlight-reel goal, a thundering free-kick that crashed off the crossbar.

Chris Rigg (7/10) once again looked far more physically ready than in previous pre-seasons. He made an immediate impact, snapping into the game and delivering a quality cross that Reinildo met well, only to be denied. On another day, that’s an assist.

Habib Diarra (6/10) slipped in alongside Xhaka and essentially took up the Sadiki brief — shuttling, covering, and keeping the balance. It wasn’t spectacular, but it was tidy and effective.

Wilson Isidor (6/10) played on the shoulder, constantly threatening to dart in behind. Even when he didn’t receive the ball, his movement dragged defenders around and opened lanes for others.

Jocelin Ta Bi (6/10) brought a different flavour on the right. His close control stood out; at times the ball seemed glued to his feet as he dribbled down the flank, teasing challenges and nudging Sunderland up the pitch.

Reinildo answers the challenge

All of that, and still one performance towered above the rest.

Reinildo (8/10) was named Man of the Match and fully deserved it. With Dayann Methalie set to arrive and competition for his spot about to intensify, the left-back responded exactly how a manager would want: by shutting down his side of the pitch and attacking it like a winger.

Defensively, he smothered any threat down his flank, timing recovery tackles perfectly whenever Rennes thought they had broken free. Going the other way, he was relentless. He overlapped for Talbi and saw a good effort deflected wide, then just failed to convert O’Nien’s excellent cross. Later, he met a delivery from Rigg and forced a superb save from Brice Samba.

He walked off without a goal, but with a performance that sent a clear message: if Methalie wants that shirt, he’ll have to rip it from him.