Sunderland are set to host Marseille at the Stadium of Light on Saturday in the final pre-season friendly ahead of their 2024-25 Championship campaign.
The hosts have won three, lost two and drawn one of their six friendly games, while the visitors have won two and lost one of their three matches.
Match preview
After suffering back-to-back relegations from the Premier League and Championship in 2016-17 and 2017-18, Sunderland found themselves fighting for promotion in League One for four successive years.
They were eventually successful in 2021-22, beating Wycombe Wanderers in the playoff final to return to the second division, where they enjoyed a brilliant first campaign as they finished in sixth, but they devastatingly lost 3-2 on aggregate to Luton Town in the playoff semi-final after initially taking a 2-1 lead in the first leg.
Despite starting the 2023-24 season in the same promising fashion, sitting sixth on matchday 26, Sunderland rapidly fell down the table in the second half of the season, finishing in 16th and just six points above the relegation zone.
Regis Le Bris has taken charge as the Sunderland manager ahead of the new campaign where the Black Cats will be aiming to climb back up the league standings, and they have had a mixed start under the Frenchman.
They kicked off their pre-season schedule with a commanding 5-0 victory against South Shields, also losing to Gateshead on the same day, before drawing with Nottingham Forest, beating Eldense and Blackpool and most recently losing to Bradford City.
As for their opponents, Marseille are midway through their pre-season as they gear up for a campaign with ambitions of qualifying for European competition after they missed out last year.
They suffered a disappointing drop from a third-placed finish in 2022-23 to placing eighth in 2023-24, narrowly finishing one point behind seventh-placed RC Lens.
Former Brighton & Hove Albion manager Roberto De Zerbi has been appointed ahead of the upcoming campaign, and his side have shown promise in their opening three friendlies so far.
They disappointingly lost 2-0 to Nimes in their first match before recording successive 3-0 victories against Toulon and Pau FC, and De Zerbi will be eager to keep that positive run going, but Sunderland will be their toughest challenge yet.
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Team News
Le Bris named an entirely different 11 for Sunderland's game against Bradford compared to their victory against Blackpool, and there is likely to be plenty of changes for this one too.
Last season's top scorer Jack Clarke has impressed in pre-season, scoring three times, and the winger remains at the club despite plenty of transfer speculation regarding his future, and he could be in line for a start.
Mason Greenwood could be in line for his first appearance in England since leaving Manchester United on loan to Getafe last summer, having joined Marseille earlier in the transfer window.
Fellow summer signing Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg could earn his first appearance in a Marseille shirt after joining the club from Tottenham Hotspur on loan for the season.
Sunderland possible starting lineup:
Patterson; Hume, O'Nien, Alese, Cirkin; Rigg, Browne; Clarke, Bellingham, Roberts; Mayenda
Marseille possible starting lineup:
Blanco; Meite, Brassier, Balerdi, Merlin; Greenwood, Ounahi, Hojbjerg, Henrique; Moumbagna, Harit
We say: Sunderland 0-2 Marseille
Sunderland have had a mixed pre-season so far and are now set to play their toughest challenge yet in Ligue 1 side Marseille, who we expect to outclass their opponents and secure a comfortable victory.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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