Reinildo Shines as Sunderland Defeats Rennes in Pre-Season Match

This was supposed to be just another pre-season tune-up. It didn’t feel like one. Sunderland’s players treated Rennes with a seriousness that ran right through the spine of the performance, and nobody embodied that edge more than Reinildo, who walked off as a clear man of the match and a left-back in no mood to surrender his place.

Roefs calm, defence mostly in control

Robin Roefs barely had a real save to make, yet his afternoon still carried one or two jolts. He was beaten from the spot by a superb penalty he had no chance of reaching, and earlier a Rennes chance flashed wide when it really should have tested him. With the ball at his feet, though, he showed real composure, spinning away from the press in the opening stages and setting the tone for Sunderland’s build-up. A steady 6/10 for a keeper who did the simple things cleanly.

On the right, Trai Hume reverted to a more orthodox full-back role. Sunderland lost a bit of their usual control in that first half as a result, but Hume did his primary job: defend. He stuck to his task, shut down his flank, and still found time to arrive in the box at the right moment, passing home coolly from eight yards after a set piece routine. Another pre-season, another goal threat from deep. A solid 7/10.

Dan Ballard’s afternoon was far busier. He threw himself into the game, getting on the end of several set pieces and defending aggressively when Rennes broke. That commitment brought risk. Early on he surged out of defence, lost the ball, and could only watch as a lob dropped wide with Roefs stranded. Later he handed Rennes a route back with a sloppy penalty concession. Strong in most duels, but those lapses drag him to 6/10.

Alongside him, Luke O’Nien had a quieter defensive shift. He marshalled his area smartly and produced one crucial intervention, backpedalling to glance a dangerous cross over his own bar from close range. On the ball he was far more expansive, spraying passes out of defence and delivering one outstanding cross that Reinildo could only guide wide. A composed 7/10 for the captain’s defensive lieutenant.

Reinildo raises the bar on the left

If there were any doubts about Reinildo’s response to the looming arrival of Dayann Methalie, they were answered here. He shut down his flank with authority, timing his recovery tackles to perfection whenever Rennes tried to isolate him. Every time the visitors thought they had a gap, he slammed it shut.

But it wasn’t just the defending. He surged forward with real conviction, repeatedly overlapping down the left. One overlapping run for Chemsdine Talbi ended with his shot deflecting just wide. He ghosted into the box to meet O’Nien’s teasing cross and only missed by inches. Later, he forced a superb save from Brice Samba after attacking a Chris Rigg delivery. The only thing missing was the goal his performance deserved. An emphatic 8/10 and a statement display: his shirt will not be handed over easily.

Xhaka steers, Sadiki runs, Le Fee knits it together

Granit Xhaka did exactly what you expect from him in the middle. He dictated the tempo, kept the ball moving and picked his moments to pierce the Rennes back line. A couple of his defence-splitting passes came within a whisker of putting a Sunderland forward clean through. It was measured, controlled work from the captain: 7/10.

Alongside him, Noah Sadiki produced the kind of performance that has quickly become his trademark. He covered huge distances, dropped in to plug gaps when full-backs pushed on, then drove up the left whenever space appeared. He was the glue between lines, the runner that allowed others to breathe. Another industrious 7/10.

Chemsdine Talbi offered flashes rather than fireworks. He made some tidy bursts down the left, always looking to deliver early into the box rather than take on the shot himself. The intent was there, even if the end product didn’t always follow. A functional 6/10.

Enzo Le Fee, by contrast, seemed to be everywhere. He constantly made himself available, popping up in pockets across the pitch and giving the man in possession an easy out. His best moments came when he drove at Rennes with the ball, those classy runs forcing the French side onto the back foot. A clever, busy 7/10.

Angulo’s promise and Brobbey’s menace

Nilson Angulo’s afternoon mixed promise with frustration. He repeatedly found bright positions on the right, worked hard when Sunderland didn’t have the ball and looked a threat when they switched play out to him. Then the flag kept going up. Too many offsides from strong positions blunted his impact. That leaves him at 6/10.

Brian Brobbey, though, was a constant problem for the Rennes defence. He relished the physical battle, throwing his weight around and refusing to give centre-backs a moment’s peace. His goal summed him up: he burst in behind, saw his first effort saved, then simply outmuscled the defender to win the second ball and slide home. Persistence, power, payoff. A well-earned 7/10.

Bench lifts the tempo

The substitutes didn’t treat this like a gentle run-out either. Romaine Mundle came on and immediately looked like a player with a point to prove – or a new contract to justify. He played with freedom and aggression, drove straight at defenders and almost produced a moment of real brilliance when he thundered a free-kick off the crossbar. A vibrant 7/10.

Chris Rigg once again looked completely at home despite his age. Physically, he appears far more ready this summer, and he wasted no time in making an impact. His delivery from the right was dangerous, and one excellent cross found Reinildo, who was denied by top-class goalkeeping. Another eye-catching cameo, another 7/10.

Habib Diarra slotted into Xhaka’s orbit and quietly went about mirroring Sadiki’s role. He kept the structure intact, shuttled across to cover space and ensured the midfield balance remained. A tidy 6/10.

Wilson Isidor lived on the shoulder of the last defender, constantly darting into channels and dragging the Rennes back line around. He didn’t get the big chance his movement probably merited, but his running created room for others. Another effective 6/10.

Jocelin Ta Bi added a different kind of threat on the right. His close control stood out immediately, the ball seemingly glued to his boots as he dribbled down the flank. It was a brief but encouraging glimpse, worth a 6/10.

A clear message from man of the match

Reinildo’s display provided the clearest storyline of the day. With competition about to arrive, he responded not with nerves but with a performance that bristled with intent at both ends of the pitch. He defended with bite, attacked with conviction and came within a touch or a fingertip of crowning it with a goal.

If this is the level he plans to maintain, Methalie will have to do something special to take that shirt off him once the real games begin.