UEFA Europa League,
League Stage – 4
Sunderland
SUN
Dinamo Zagreb
ZAG
-
Venue
- Stadium of Light
-
Referee
- Andrea Colombo
Luka Stojkovic 22′
Dion Drena Beljo 39′
Sunderland suffered their first defeat of the Europa League campaign as Dinamo Zagreb secured an impressive 2-0 win at the Stadium of Light.
First-half goals from Luka Stojkovic and Dion Beljo put the Croatian visitors in control, leaving Regis Le Bris' side with too much to do despite an improved performance after the interval.
The Black Cats had entered the contest unbeaten in their opening three European matches, but struggled to cope with Dinamo's attacking threat during a disappointing first half.
The visitors took the lead in the 22nd minute when Sunderland failed to properly clear a corner.
Granit Xhaka's attempted header fell to Stojkovic on the edge of the penalty area, and the midfielder controlled the ball with his chest before firing an excellent volley into the net.
Dinamo almost doubled their advantage moments later, but Thomas Meunier produced a crucial goal-line clearance to keep Sunderland in the contest.
However, the visitors eventually added a second in the 39th minute following another poor defensive sequence from the hosts.
Sunderland failed to clear their lines as Dinamo pushed forward, allowing Stojkovic to lift a clever pass into Beljo's path.
The UEFA Europa League Table
| # | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Last 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
 Olympiakos Piraeus |
4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 10 |
D |
| 2 |
 Benfica |
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 2 | 8 | 9 |
W |
| 3 |
 Bayer Leverkusen |
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 8 | 9 |
L |
| 4 |
 Bournemouth |
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 7 | 9 |
W |
| 5 |
 Ferencvarosi TC |
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 9 |
W |
| 6 |
 Union St. Gilloise |
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 7 | 7 |
W |
| 7 |
 Juventus |
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 7 |
W |
| 8 |
 BeÅŸiktaÅŸ |
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 7 |
L |
| 9 |
 Sunderland |
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 7 |
L |
| 10 |
 AZ Alkmaar |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 6 |
L |
| 11 |
 Omonia Nicosia |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 6 |
L |
| 12 |
 Rennes |
4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 6 |
D |
| 13 |
 Lyon |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 6 | -1 | 6 |
D |
| 14 |
 Real Sociedad |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 4 |
D |
| 15 |
 Crystal Palace |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 4 |
D |
| 16 |
 Sparta Praha |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 4 |
L |
| 17 |
 Levski Sofia |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
W |
| 18 |
 Dinamo Zagreb |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | -1 | 4 |
W |
| 19 |
 Sturm Graz |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | -2 | 4 |
L |
| 20 |
 NEC Nijmegen |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 8 | -3 | 4 |
W |
| 21 |
 Red Bull Salzburg |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 6 | -3 | 4 |
L |
| 22 |
 Anderlecht |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 3 |
W |
| 23 |
 1899 Hoffenheim |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 3 |
D |
| 24 |
 AC Milan |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 5 | -1 | 3 |
L |
| 25 |
 Celta Vigo |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 4 | -1 | 3 |
L |
| 26 |
 OFI |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 4 | -1 | 3 |
W |
| 27 |
 Jagiellonia |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 | -2 | 3 |
L |
| 28 |
 Torreense |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 7 | -3 | 3 |
W |
| 29 |
 Celje |
3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 7 | -5 | 1 |
W |
| 30 |
 Hapoel Beer Sheva |
3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 6 | -5 | 1 |
L |
| 31 |
 Lillestrom |
3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 9 | -7 | 1 |
L |
| 32 |
 Lech Poznan |
3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 9 | -8 | 1 |
L |
| 33 |
 Plzen |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 7 | -5 | 0 |
W |
| 34 |
 Marseille |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 6 | -5 | 0 |
W |
| 35 |
 Celtic |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 9 | -6 | 0 |
W |
| 36 |
 Ararat-Armenia |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 11 | -9 | 0 |
L |
- Position 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 : Promotion – Europa League (Play Offs: 1/8-finals)
- Position 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 : Promotion – Europa League (Play Offs: 1/16-finals)
The striker timed his movement perfectly before finishing to leave the home side facing a two-goal deficit at the break.
Sunderland improved after half-time and began to apply more pressure as they searched for a route back into the contest.
Wilson Isidor thought he had given the Black Cats hope when he found the net, but his effort was ruled out for offside.
Despite their improvements, Sunderland could not find a breakthrough against a disciplined Dinamo side.
