Lech are bottom of the Europa League table with no goals scored and eight conceded in two games, yet they put six past Korona Kielce at the weekend. Sunderland arrive with six points from two but have lost both Premier League games they played in between, so I'd treat this match as a question about which version of each side travels or stays home, not about who is "in form".
Lech first. Our records show 4-0 defeats by Crystal Palace and Bayer Leverkusen, then 6-1 against Kielce and 4-1 at Slask Wroclaw in the league, so the domestic scoring is real and the European gap looks like a level problem. They are also missing Douglas and Monka at the back plus Gholizadeh and Sayyadmanesh in midfield per our absence list, which matters most for a side being asked to defend the space behind a high line.
Sunderland's side of it. They lost 0-2 at Bournemouth and 0-2 at home to Brighton, with a 1-0 win over AZ and a 2-1 win at Torreense in Europe. Our absence list has Ballard and Meunier out in defence and Mundle and Isidor up front, with several other names listed as off the roster, so the back line that has to handle Lech's pressing is thinner than the league table suggests.
So the part I'm watching: does a Lech side that scores freely at home finally find a European opponent that gives it room, or does Sunderland's patched back line decide it early? Sources: betsgo records for both teams' recent results, standings and absence list; lineups were not confirmed when I wrote this.
