Sunderland are unbeaten so far in the Europa League this season, but are struggling with squad issues in their domestic league, leaving the Black Cats rock bottom of the Premier League.

Mackems' boss Regis Le Bris made five changes to his starting lineup, as Nilson Angulo, Jules Ahoka, Kevin Danso, and Dayann Méthalie returned to the side. Young Englishman Chris Rigg was moved into an unfamiliar central role for tonight's match.

Wilson Isidor was preferred up front in place of Brian Brobbey, who is still in the phase of returning from injury.

However, it is quite the opposite for their rivals tonight.

Dinamo Zagreb are second in the Hrvatska Nogometna Liga, four points behind Hajduk Split.

Dinamo manager Jerko Leko made four changes from his side's 1-0 defeat to Rudeš on Halloween night, including former West Ham winger Mislav Oršić being brought into the side in place of Arbër Hoxha.

Story of the Match

Sunderland flew out of the blocks in this tie, and played the first few minutes barrelling down on the Dinamo net.

The Black Cats would see their first chance come in the 11th minute, when a bit of trickery from Rigg opened up the space for a cross into 6-foot-3 midfielder Ahoka. The Congolese midfielder headed into the floor and it was an easy catch for Dominik Kotarski.

Sunderland were experiencing all of the joy, but in the 23rd minute, Dinamo Zagreb took the lead. Granit Xhaka's block to deny Oršić took the ball out for a corner, from which the former West Ham winger whipped a cross into the area.

The ball was dealt with by Omar Alderete; however, the Paraguayan could not clear his lines well enough.

Luka Stojković controlled the ball with his chest, and the 23-year-old smashed the ball into the bottom-left corner with a technically excellent volley.

Dutch goalkeeper Robin Roefs was left stranded by the multitude of bodies in his line of vision, and the Mackems were left to chase the game.

Just one minute later, Oršić showed exceptional dribbling ability and rounded Roefs, but a brilliant piece of positioning from experienced right-back Thomas Meunier denied the left winger a certain goal.

The first yellow card of the match followed soon after, when Niko Galešić was booked for a late foul on Angulo. One minute later, the Italian referee went to his pocket again; this time, a harsh yellow for Sunderland skipper Xhaka after making unfortunate contact with Josip Mišić.

Sunderland nearly found an equaliser in the 29th minute. Angulo cut the ball back to Meunier to set up a first-time cross. The ball was whiskers away from Isidor and struck the inside of the post before Malick Fofana could get anything on it.

Zagreb absorbed the Sunderland pressure well, and in the 36th minute, they broke away with right-back Moris Valinčić. Austrian Danso cynically brought down the Croatian to stop the dangerous attack, and got Sunderland's second yellow card of the night for his troubles.

Stojković was starting to show his quality — which will surely earn him a move into the top five leagues next summer — and in the 38th minute, the agile midfielder nearly made it two. He beat Danso and Ahoka on the edge of the box, before firing his shot just wide of the far post.

A Moment of Genius

In the 40th minute, after a barrage of pressure from the Croatians, Dinamo doubled their lead. A long diagonal ball from Mišić was plucked out of the sky by Oršić.

The left winger gave the ball inside looking for Beljo, only to be intercepted by Danso. However, the ball fell to Stojković, who showed world-class vision to dink the ball over Danso towards an unmarked Dion Beljo running in behind.

Zagreb's number nine lobbed the ball over Roefs, and Alderete could not get back quickly enough to successfully clear off the line.

Sunderland had a chance of turning things around, but after the second goal went in, Dinamo shifted into another gear and ran riot, constantly bearing down on the Sunderland net.

Mišić received treatment on the pitch, and the camera cut to Le Bris and his assistants frantically arguing over changes to the side.

Sunderland went off at half-time to a chorus of boos from the Stadium of Light, though the home support had been drowned out by the away faithful for all 45 minutes of this match.

Four players were caught in the crossfire by Le Bris' axe of change during the half-time break, as the Frenchman broke the emergency glass desperately searching for a comeback.

The half-time team talk must have had some impact, as Malick Fofana started the second half in electric form. He danced around Valinčić, and sat him down on the floor, before being fouled by Lukas Kačavenda. The right winger received Dinamo's second yellow of the match.

Granit Xhaka whipped in a venomous cross from the resulting free kick, and Isidor met the ball with his head to finish low for 2-1.

The comeback was on, or so it seemed. To add to Sunderland's troubles, VAR intervened and disallowed the goal. Isidor was judged offside, and Sunderland would have to find that first goal another way.

In the 52nd minute, Angulo threaded through Trai Hume for his first involvement of the match. The Northern Irishman fizzed in an inviting cross, but Isidor was caught on his heels, and the ball deflected out for a corner.

That corner was swung in by Enzo Le Fée, and after a bit of pinball in the box, Hume was involved again, as he fired in a dangerous shot that should have provided the hosts their first of the night. However, some heroic defending from Kačavenda meant the ball hit the Croatian square in the forehead, and out of harm's way.

It had been an adrenaline-fuelled two minutes for the full-back, and he topped it off by receiving a yellow card for a foul on Bruno Goda. How Goda had not received his own yellow card for a multitude of fouls on Angulo is a mystery, despite the referee Andrea Colombo going to his pocket rather easily throughout the encounter.

Sunderland started to apply the pressure on the Zagreb goal. In the 57th minute, Sunderland nearly scored again. A dangerous cross was headed toward goal by Reinildo Mandava, and Kotarski showed outstanding reflexes to keep the ball out, though only as far as Danso.

The Austrian hooked the ball back over his head goalward, and agonisingly for the Wearsiders, the ball came back off the crossbar.

Sunderland were provided a scare in the 59th minute, when a misplaced pass from Xhaka was intercepted by Valinčić. The right-back immediately sent the ball forward to Stojković, who fired narrowly wide.

It seemed both Isidor and Stojković had run their races, and they were replaced by Brian Brobbey and Luka Ivanušec.

Swiss international Xhaka found himself with the ball on the left-hand side in the 66th minute, and fired another inviting cross into the chest of Brobbey. The Dutch striker took the ball down and fired the ball at goal, but the rushing Kotarski caught enough of the ball to force it wide at the near post.

Unfortunately for Kotarski, the loanee keeper also caught the trailing boot of the opposition striker to the face, and the match had to be stopped.

Despite Zagreb holding firm, Sunderland were still on the hunt for their equaliser, and were in full control of the ball. It was total domination, but as has been the story with Sunderland this season, they just cannot seem to put the ball in the net.

Sunderland had an argument for a penalty in the 78th minute. A pass from Noah Sadiki into the path of Brobbey caused chaos in the box, as the Dutchman rolled Stjepan Radeljić as the ball rolled into his path.

However, a tussle in the box meant both players went tumbling to the ground backwards. Astonishingly, VAR decided not to check the action, and after a Strictly-esque waltz between Angulo and Oršić, a free kick was eventually given to the Croatian side.

Sunderland kept trying, but it was to no avail. Dinamo Zagreb held on and secured the 2-0 win, putting them 9th in the Europa League table, one place below the automatic qualification places.

Player of the Match: Luka Stojković

After playing only 66 minutes of football, the match was too far out of Sunderland's reach for a comeback, and it was largely thanks to the Croatian wonderkid.

Stojković was instrumental in his side being on the right end of the result, and he came up with the quality moments when needed.

His assist for the second goal was out of this world; many players would have tried to play that pass along the floor, but he had the confidence to lift it over Danso in an unexpected turn of events.

His touch and finish for Zagreb's opener also showed a very strong technical ability, and it is a matter of time before the 23-year-old makes his name for a top, top team.