Sunderland's midfielder Noa Sadiq expressed his satisfaction with the team’s strong character after they secured a dramatic 2-1 victory against Torreense in the second round of the Europa League group stage.
The English side found themselves trailing after Volnei Feltes scored for Torreense in the 37th minute. However, they responded in the second half with Jules Ahoka leveling the match, and in the dying moments, Sadiq clinched the win with a precise strike assisted by Granit Xhaka in the 90+3 minute.
'I’m very happy for the team because we showed strong character today. We were behind, but we managed to come back. That’s exactly what we needed to do. Now we’ll focus on the next match,' said Sadiq.
The midfielder also acknowledged the threat posed by Torreense, despite Sunderland being considered the favourites heading into the tie.
'They really made it difficult for us, even though many thought we would dominate. I’m very pleased for them because they showed what it means to compete at this level, despite playing in the second division.'
'We shouldn’t underestimate smaller teams. They performed really well, but unfortunately for them, we came out on top,' he added.
With this victory, Sunderland maintained their perfect record in the Europa League. The team once again proved their ability to fight until the final whistle, with Sadiq emerging as the hero in a thrilling finish.
