Almost 4,000 Sunderland fans are traveling to the Estádio Dr Magalhães Pessoa in Leiria, preparing to watch their team compete on European soil for the first time in over half a century. The traveling supporters will trade the cold weather of the north-east for forecast bright sunshine and 25C temperatures as they descend on the match, some choosing to stay in the nearby pilgrimage town of Fátima. The match venue was moved from Torreense’s home ground, the Estádio Manuel Marques, because it falls short of Uefa capacity regulations.
For Sunderland, this Europa League fixture serves as a critical break from an underwhelming domestic campaign. Manager Régis Le Bris is expected to rotate his squad ahead of a significant Premier League meeting with Bournemouth on Sunday, as the club looks to reboot its season. While Sunderland sits near the bottom of the English top flight, they arrive as the favorites against a struggling Torreense side that currently occupies 15th place in the Portuguese second tier.
The last time the Black Cats featured in a competitive European tie was 53 years ago against Sporting in Lisbon. Their opponents for this encounter, Torreense, earned their Europa League spot after a surprise victory in the Portuguese Cup final last season. Torreense previously secured a 2-1 win over Lillestrøm in Norway last month, boosting their standing in the competition. Sunderland has based their traveling party at a luxury hotel in Lisbon, situated nearly two hours away from the stadium in Leiria where the match is scheduled to take place.