Sunderland vs Real Betis
Sunderland are dead serious about their return to the Premier League next season, as they’ve been busy in the summer transfer window. After they sold Jobe Bellingham to Borussia Dortmund for roughly €30.5 million last month, the Black Cats spent money and acquired a handful of players – seven to be exact.
One of them is their newest signing, Granit Xhaka, for only a reported fee of €15 million. The 32-year-old midfielder had been with Bayer Leverkusen since 2023 and was a key figure in their Bundesliga triumph last year. Xhaka brings a wealth of experience to Sunderland, who are looking to make noise in the English top-flight next season. The Swiss international could make his Black Cats debut this Saturday when Regis Le Bris’ side hosts Real Betis in a Club Friendly at the Stadium of Light.
Speaking of Real Betis, Manuel Pellegrini’s men are fresh from a 1-1 draw against Coventry City last night, and they are also preparing for the tough grind of the new campaign.
Here’s the preview of this exhibition game, courtesy of SBOTOP.
Talking Points
Is Xhaka the difference maker Sunderland need?
Granit Xhaka is back in the Premier League after a two-year odyssey, and he may be the spark that Sunderland need this preseason and the upcoming 2025-26 campaign. When he left Arsenal to join Bayer Leverkusen in 2023, the Swiss midfielder blossomed into a leader, and he’ll aim to do the same at the Stadium of Light.
During his introductory press conference, Xhaka said “he felt the energy and mentality” of Sunderland. He brings much-needed toughness and grit for the Black Cats with his steady play. During his time with Die Werkself, Xhaka generated 228 open-play shot-ending sequences and never committed a single error leading to an opposition goal. Last season, he completed 2,500 of his 2,753 passes in the Bundesliga, boasting a 90.7-per cent success rate, with only Bayern midfielder Joshua Kimmich (3,183-for-3,425) having completed more. Most importantly, Xhaka rarely missed matches.
Besides Xhaka, Sunderland fans should also be excited about fellow new signings Simon Adingra and Chemsdine Talbi. The winger duo combined for a brilliant goal against Hull City, as Adingra finished a well-placed pass from Talbi during the 11th minute.
Real Betis youngster leaves a lasting impression
Real Betis should’ve lost to Coventry City, but youngster Pablo Garcia had other plans. The 18-year-old winger fired a left-footed thunderbolt past the hands of goalkeeper Carl Rushworth in the opening minute of the second half. However, Los Verdiblancos couldn’t break through, as Rushworth rebuffed them with his timely saves. With his wonderful goal, Garcia hopes that it’ll help him get more playing time next season, especially after he made his senior debut as a substitute in a 1-0 win over Mallorca last January.
Meanwhile, summer signings Rodrigo Riquelme and Pau Lopez need to work on their chemistry, as the former’s awful back pass to the latter led to a tap-in goal by Jack Rudoni. If that goal hadn’t happened in the first half, Real Betis would’ve won the match. Valentin Gomez and Junior Firpo also made their Los Verdiblancos debuts, and there could be more minutes for them against the Black Cats.
History
Saturday marks the first-ever competitive meeting between Sunderland and Real Betis. The pregame Club Friendly 2025 odds back Los Verdiblancos to beat the Black Cats, and the fans at the Stadium of Light should get their fair share of Club Friendly 2025 highlights.
In terms of recent form, Real Betis have the edge. After losing their first preseason match against UD Leiria (1-0), Manuel Pellegrini’s men went undefeated in their subsequent three matches against Farense (2-0), Cordoba (4-3), and Coventry City (1-1). On the other hand, Sunderland went unbeaten in their first three against Gateshead (2-2), South Shields (4-0), and Sevilla (1-1) before dropping their next three against Sporting (1-0), Hearts (3-0), and Hull City (2-1).
Sunderland are back in the Premier League after an eight-year absence after winning the play-off final against Sheffield United (2-1) last May, despite finishing fourth place in the Championship table. The last time they were relegated from the Premier League, the Black Cats suffered back-to-back relegations, and their lowest finish was eighth in the League One table during the 2019-20 campaign.
Meanwhile, Real Betis finished sixth in the La Liga standings last term, good for a Europa League spot. Los Verdiblancos came close to winning their first-ever major European trophy when they advanced to the 2024-25 Europa Conference League final but lost to Chelsea 4-1.
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