Sunderland’s season stuttered to a grim close on April 16, 2025, with a 0-1 loss to Queens Park Rangers at the Stadium of Light, a result that left fans chewing their nails as the Championship play-offs creep closer. The Black Cats, once riding high, now limp into the post-season on the back of a performance that was equal parts flat and frustrating, with QPR’s Nicolas Madsen delivering the only goal in a match that exposed Sunderland’s faltering form.
The game kicked off with a flicker of promise for the home side, but that hope fizzled fast. Just 11 minutes in, Madsen, QPR’s Danish midfielder, latched onto a loose ball in the box and rifled it past Anthony Patterson. Sunderland’s defense, caught napping, had no answer. From there, the match sank into a slog—scrappy, stop-start, and painfully short on quality. Sunderland’s attacking efforts, led by Jack Clarke and Jobe Bellingham, fizzed out against a stubborn QPR backline that seemed to relish the grind.
Andy’s player ratings, published by the Sunderland Echo, didn’t pull punches. Patterson, the usually reliable keeper, earned a 6, with the early goal staining an otherwise quiet day. Defenders like Dan Ballard and Luke O’Nien scraped 5s, their sluggish reactions and wayward passing drawing groans from the stands. In midfield, Bellingham’s energy couldn’t mask his lack of end product—another 5. Clarke, often the spark, was shackled by QPR’s doubling up, limping to a 4. Up top, Nazariy Rusyn toiled but found no joy, also landing a 4. The numbers painted a picture of a team misfiring at the worst possible time.
Sunderland’s possession edged over 60%, but it was sterile, all sideways passes and half-hearted probes. QPR, content to sit deep, barely broke a sweat to hold their lead. The home side’s best chance came late, when substitute Eliezer Mayenda’s header forced a sharp save from QPR’s Paul Nardi, but it was too little, too late. The final whistle blew to a chorus of boos, with 41,524 fans trudging home under grey Wearside skies.
This defeat marks Sunderland’s third loss in five games, a wobble that has seen them slip from automatic promotion contenders to play-off hopefuls. With the regular season done, they now face a two-legged semi-final against an opponent to be confirmed on April 17, 2025, by the English Football League. QPR, meanwhile, head into their summer break with a morale-boosting win, their first at Sunderland since 2019.
Manager Régis Le Bris, in his post-match press conference, didn’t sugarcoat it. The team, he said, lacked sharpness and failed to turn dominance into goals. Tactical tweaks at halftime—pushing wingers higher and switching to a 4-2-3-1—yielded no breakthrough. Le Bris now has days to rally his squad before the play-offs, where a shot at Premier League promotion hangs in the balance.
Sunderland’s starting XI: Patterson, Ballard, O’Nien, Hjelde, Hume, Neil, Bellingham, Rigg, Clarke, Rusyn, Roberts. Substitutes used: Mayenda, Ba, Aouchiche. QPR’s goal scorer: Madsen, 11th minute. Attendance: 41,524. Referee: Anthony Backhouse.