Noah Sadiki produced a moment of brilliance deep into stoppage time to rescue Sunderland from a shock defeat against Portuguese second-tier side Torreense, securing a 2-1 comeback win in the Europa League. The dramatic winner arrived in the third minute of added time, with the Democratic Republic of the Congo midfielder half-volleying home after a slick passing move involving Enzo Le Fée and Granit Xhaka. Sadiki's celebration was as memorable as the goal itself, as he leapt advertising hoardings and sprinted across the stadium's running track to reach the jubilant travelling supporters, with his teammates soon following suit.

The victory, Sunderland's second consecutive win in the competition, came in less than convincing fashion against a Torreense side ranked 15th in Portugal's second division but riding high on confidence after stunning Sporting to lift the Portuguese Cup last season and defeating Lillestrøm in their previous European outing. Manager Régis Le Bris did not shy away from acknowledging the difficulty of the contest afterward. "It was a difficult game," he said. "Torreense are a good team."

The match was played at Leiria's stadium, standing in for Torreense's own ground, which does not meet the requirements for European fixtures. The venue, set beneath a 12th-century castle built to repel Moorish invasions, provided a striking setting for what marked Sunderland's first competitive European away trip in 53 years, their last having come during their days as FA Cup holders and a second-tier club back in 1973.

Sunderland fielded a heavily rotated lineup, with Le Bris resting key figures including Xhaka, Le Fée and Nordi Mukiele ahead of a crucial Premier League fixture against Bournemouth. Luke O'Nien, a veteran of the club's League One era, captained the side in front of a crowd swelled by local fans beyond the official allocation of 4,000 tickets.

The opening half proved frustrating for the visitors, who struggled to create clear chances despite wingers Malick Fofana and Nilson Angulo both seeing significant minutes. An early header from striker Timur Tutierov was ruled out for a shirt-pulling infringement on defender Omar Alderete. Torreense, meanwhile, held firm defensively before striking against the run of play just before halftime. Centre-back Volnei Feltes was allowed to advance unchallenged before curling a brilliant 20-yard effort into the top corner, giving the hosts a deserved lead at the interval.

Le Bris responded with a mass substitution after the break, bringing on Le Fée, Xhaka, Mukiele and Reinildo in a bid to inject quality into a disjointed performance. The changes paid dividends as 20-year-old summer signing Jules Ahoka, who joined from Royal Antwerp for £8.5m, headed home his first goal for the club from a delicate Mukiele assist to level the score.

Sunderland believed they had taken the lead shortly after when Tutierov went down in the box and the referee pointed to the spot, only for a linesman's offside flag to intervene. A lengthy VAR review ultimately overturned the initial penalty decision, ruling there was no offside, no foul, and therefore no spot kick.

The deadlock appeared set to continue until the final minutes, when Le Fée's clever ball into the box found Xhaka, who teed up Sadiki for the decisive finish. The result extends Sunderland's perfect start in this season's Europa League campaign, though questions remain over the overall quality of their performance against lower-ranked opposition.

Based on reporting from The Guardian.