Sunderland crowds among Europe’s elite as PSG sit below | OneFootball

Sunderland’s average attendance of 46,382 places them among Europe’s biggest crowds this season, ranking 26th across the top five leagues and ninth in the Premier League.

According to Sunderland Echo, it is the club’s fourth-highest average on record and their best since 2001/02, when 46,745 attended on average. It follows year-on-year rises from 42,454 and 41,028.

The surge mirrors a strong first campaign back in the Premier League, with 40 points from 29 matches after a 1-0 win at Leeds United last time out. They sit four points off the top seven and 12 clear of the relegation places.

At home they went unbeaten in their first 12 league games, then lost the last two at the Stadium of Light.

In the continental table, Sunderland sit above Paris Saint-Germain on 43,916, RB Leipzig on 43,738, Lille on 42,529 and Valencia on 44,725. Clubs such as Aston Villa, Chelsea, Juventus, Barcelona and Bayer Leverkusen miss the top 30 due to capacity limits.

Napoli are just ahead on 46,834, while Newcastle United are 20th with 52,093. Manchester United top the English contingent on 73,960, behind Bayern Munich on 75,000 and leaders Borussia Dortmund on 81,365.

Sunderland now target another bumper gate when Brighton visit next week, after an FA Cup trip to League One strugglers Port Vale.

Source: Sunderland Echo