Advocaat’s side side were also made to sweat in the previous round against Exeter City before their Premier League class shone and they ran out 6-3 winners.
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The Black Cats are bottom of the Premier League standings with no wins and four defeats already this season, and face Manchester United at Old Trafford on Saturday.
Advocaat said with a smile: “When I was the manager of Zenit, we played against Villarreal and I kicked him out of the UEFA Cup, and he was very angry because he did not expect that”.
City’s European misery continued at the Etihad Stadium but the manager said his side were unlucky and had “controlled the game“. In 2013/14, they picked up just one point from first eight games and last season they failed to win any of their opening six games. The first 25 minutes I think we were very positive.
There were also victories for Leicester City, who needed extra time to beat West Ham United 2-1, Aston Villa, who won 1-0 at home to local rivals Birmingham City, and Everton who came from behind to beat Reading 2-1. They became the second top-flight team to be knocked out of this season’s tournament after second-round casualties Watford, although they were later joined by West Ham. Believe me.” He’s probably right: “it’s hard to imagine any suitably talented coach wanting to take on such a mammoth task as keeping Sunderland in the Premier League.
“I was not happy with the way we gave the goals away, and that’s not the first time”.
“At the moment not everything is rolling our way, but that will change”.
“I was a little bit scared to be honest and thought hopefully the fans will stay – and they did”, Advocaat told BBC of Tuesday’s 4-1 loss. “He needs to get to know the players better but I was pleased with the space he found himself in and his work rate”.
City went into the game without David Silva, Samir Nasri, Fabian Delph, Pablo Zabaleta, Vincent Kompany, Eliaquim Mangala, Gael Clichy, Wilfried Bony and Kelechi Iheanacho, but Pellegrini is hopeful of having at least a couple of them back for Saturday’s league trip to Tottenham.
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Sterling got on the scoresheet three minutes later, while Sunderland grabbed a second-half consolation goal through Ola Toivonen.
