Match Report
Sunderland went into the game 16th in the table on 3 points; AZ Alkmaar sat 25th on 0 — a 3-point gap. Sunderland had been over-performing their table position on recent form: 1st in the league over the last five rounds against 16th overall. Against a league average of 1.31 goals per team per game, Sunderland ran at 1 scored and 0 conceded, AZ Alkmaar at 0 and 1.
Defeat had not touched AZ Alkmaar in 15 games, having scored in 15 consecutive games. Over the last five, Sunderland had taken 7 of 15 points to AZ Alkmaar's 13.
J. Pignard officiated: 98 games logged, averaging 2.0 yellow cards each. Stadium of Light staged the fixture, a ground that holds 2,500. On the scoreboard, it was 0-0 at the break; 1 second-half goal set the final 1-0.
Goal scorers
Sunderland: Enzo Le Fée (66')
Key stats
Possession: Sunderland 45% · AZ Alkmaar 55% · Total shots: 20-11 · On target: 5-2 · Corners: 12-5