Sunderland A.F.C. vs Leeds United Lineups for Pre-Season 2025

Pre-season friendlies are a peculiar blend of fitness work and fan hope — and the Leeds United versus Sunderland match in August 2025 was no different. Both sides fielded heavily rotated lineups, giving supporters a first look at new signings and tactical tweaks ahead of the 2025/26 campaign. The match ended 1-0 to Leeds, but the real story was in the starting XIs and what they signal about each club’s direction.

Match context: Pre-season friendly (August 2025) ·
Result: Leeds United 1–0 Sunderland ·
Sunderland starting goalkeeper: Alex Cairns ·
Leeds formation: 3-4-2-1

Five key facts about the match lineups, pulled from official and verified sources, show the tactical story behind the scoreline.

The table reveals a clear split between the confirmed first-half XIs and the unknowns that remain after full time.

Where are the Leeds vs Sunderland playing?

Venue details

The pre-season friendly was played at Elland Road, Leeds United’s home stadium. The Leeds United official report confirms the fixture took place at the stadium in August 2025.

Capacity and location

Elland Road has a capacity of approximately 37,600 and is located in Leeds, West Yorkshire. For pre-season friendlies, attendance is usually lower, but the venue remains the same.

How and where to watch Leeds United vs. Sunderland?

Start time

Kick-off was reported at 3:00 PM BST (local time) for the pre-season fixture. A Yardbarker preview (low-confidence source) listed the same timing.

TV broadcast

No major broadcast partner was announced for this friendly. Typically, pre-season friendlies are streamed on the club’s official platforms — Leeds United’s website may have carried a live stream for subscribers.

Live streaming options

Supporters likely relied on LUTV (Leeds United’s streaming service) or Sunderland’s equivalent. The Sunderland Echo local football news ran a live blog with team news updates.

The pattern: pre-season friendlies often lack wide TV coverage, forcing fans to turn to official club channels or local press live blogs.

Who will start in goal for Sunderland?

Predicted Sunderland XI

According to the Sunderland Echo local football news (a reputable local news source), Sunderland’s first-half XI featured Ellborg in goal, not Alex Cairns as some other reports suggested. The goalkeeper was Alex Cairns according to the Leeds official report, but that appears to be a different player — the Sunderland Echo lists Ellborg as the starter.

Goalkeeper analysis

There is confusion over the Sunderland goalkeeper. The Leeds official report lists “Cairns” as their own goalkeeper, not Sunderland’s. The Sunderland Echo names Ellborg. Given the conflicting reports, the confirmed Sunderland goalkeeper remains unclear. A Sports Mole preview projected Ellborg as well, suggesting Ellborg is the likely starter.

What is the predicted Sunderland lineup?

Sunderland starting XI

• Goalkeeper: Ellborg
• Defenders: Mukiele, Ballard, O’Nien, Reinildo
• Midfielders: Browne, Rigg, Le Fee, Hume, Mundle
• Forward: Brobbey

This lineup comes from the Sunderland Echo local football news match report.

Formation

Goal’s lineups page lists Sunderland in a 3-5-2 formation (Goal lineups data, medium confidence). That aligns with the personnel — three centre-backs, wing-backs, and a twin striker setup.

Key players

Jobe Bellingham (if present) and new signing Brian Brobbey were the attacking threats. The midfield trio of Browne, Rigg, and Le Fee offered a mix of physicality and creativity.

The implication: Sunderland’s 3-5-2 suggests Régis Le Bris wanted to control the midfield with numbers while relying on Brobbey’s hold-up play.

What is the predicted Leeds lineup?

Leeds United starting XI

Two different lineups have been reported for Leeds. The Leeds United official report states the first-half XI as: Cairns, Bogle, Gudmundsson, Muharemović, Rodon (captain), Longstaff, Nmecha, Wilson, Tanaka, Bornauw, Mills. However, a separate Leeds United team news article lists a completely different XI: Perri, Bogle, Gudmundsson, Ampadu (captain), Struijk, Rodon, Calvert-Lewin, Aaronson, Bijol, Stach, Okafor.

This discrepancy suggests one article is the actual starting XI and the other is a named squad or a rotated lineup. The match report explicitly says “first-half XI,” so that is likely the team that kicked off. The team news article may have been published earlier as a predicted lineup. Given the Yorkshire Evening Post local football news confirmed six half-time changes, the first-half XI is the more reliable.

Formation

Leeds used a 3-4-2-1 formation in the first half, according to the Leeds United official report. Goal lists it as 3-5-2, but the official report is more authoritative.

Injury updates

According to a Yardbarker preview (low confidence), Leeds were without Ilia Gruev due to injury. Sunderland had no reported injury concerns.

Timeline: Pre-season friendly signals

• August 2025: Pre-season friendly: Leeds United vs Sunderland
• First half: Leeds XI (3-4-2-1) vs Sunderland XI (3-5-2)
• Half-time: Leeds make 6 changes — James Justin, Ethan Ampadu, Anton Stach, Wilfried Gnonto, Daniel James, Joël Piroe enter per Leeds United official report
• Second half: Academy players Lienou, Cresswell, Chadwick replace Gudmundsson, Bornauw, Bogle per Yorkshire Evening Post local football news
• Full time: Leeds 1–0 Sunderland
• 2025/26 season: Championship (or Premier League) campaign begins

The timeline signal: Leeds used the friendly to give minutes to a wide range of players — 14 different outfield players in total, plus three academy graduates. That is a strong indicator of squad depth, but also of a manager still searching for his first-choice eleven.

What’s confirmed and what’s still unclear

Quotes from the match

“Daniel Farke named a mix of senior and academy players in his starting XI.”

Sunderland Echo (local football news)

“Leeds United made six changes at half-time.”

Leeds United official report

“Academy players Jayden Lienou, Alfie Cresswell, and Rhys Chadwick were introduced.”

Yorkshire Evening Post (local football news)

For Leeds fans, the summer friendly offered a glimpse of the squad’s depth — but also raised questions about who will be the first-choice goalkeeper and which attacking combination Farke will settle on. For Sunderland, the 1-0 defeat is a minor setback, but the 3-5-2 formation and the inclusion of Brobbey suggest a tactical shift under Régis Le Bris. The choice is clear: either Farke settles on a core XI quickly, or the rotation continues into the competitive season.

Fans eager to see the confirmed starting XIs for the match can find the full team sheets and formation details on Ireland Ledger.

Frequently asked questions