Sunderland 0 Benfica 2
Stu Vose

Portuguese giants Benfica ran out winners as Sunderland's pre-season trip to Portugal ended on a losing note.

But it was far from a disaster for Steve Bruce's men, who acquitted themselves well and showed plenty of commitment against excellent opposition.

Benfica's sharpness and tempo marked them out as deserving winners but Bruce was upbeat after his team got another valuable run-out under their belts.

Goals from Oscar Cardozo and Carlos Martins in each half won the game for Benfica, who will play in the Champions' League this season.

Sunderland were without last season's leading scorer Darren Bent through injury and lost Kenwyne Jones to a knee problem in the first half.

They threatened only infrequently but showed plenty of commitment to the cause as Bruce gave game time to a number of players, including Lee Cattermole.

Bruce used the occasion to road-test a new look 4-5-1 formation with Jones at the head, but Benfica started like a train and Cardozo came close in the early stages when he forced Simon Mignolet into an excellent reflex save from close range.

But despite Benfica's superiority, Sunderland created an excellent chance on the counter with 21 minutes gone.

Steed Malbranque was the supplier, sending in a teasing cross which split the centre-backs but was just too long for Jones, with the big striker missing the ball by inches with his lunge ten yards out.

The miss was punished when Fabio Coentrao was given the room to cross from the left and Cardozo ghosted in to plant a firm downward header beyond a helpless Mignolet.

Jones limped off shortly afterwards, with Martyn Waghorn replacing him as the spearhead of the Sunderland attack.

The marauding Coentrao teed up the final chance of the first period for Benfica but Cesar Peixoto should have done better, blazing wastefully high and wide from a good position.

Fraizer Campbell - scorer of four goals against Hull - was introduced at the break and pushed up to support Waghorn in attack.

And although Sunderland began the half brightly, Mignolet was again the busier of the two keepers and he pulled off a super save to deny the Portuguese outfit on the hour.

Substitute Alan Kardec slipped through the middle of the Black Cats' defence to go one-on-one with the keeper, but Mignolet stood his ground and dropped down well to stop the striker's low shot with his legs.

Bruce responded by giving Lee Cattermole his first run-out of the trip in place of Malbranque, but he couldn't prevent Benfica bossing the final stages.

Mignolet came to the rescue again 12 minutes from the end, rushing from his goal to clear his lines under intense after Anton Ferdinand made a hash of his backpass.

But Sunderland were almost back in it seven minutes from time as defender Sidney sliced his clearance horribly towards his own goal only to look on a relieved man as his goalkeeper took the catch under his crossbar.

That was to be the closest Sunderland came in the second half as Benfica made sure of victory through sub Martins two minutes from time.

The midfielder worked his way into space and pulled the trigger 30 yards from goal, unleashing a rocket of a shot which flew past a stunned Mignolet and into the corner of the goal.

Sunderland: Mignolet, Angeleri (Campbell, 46), Richardson (Liddle, 84), Ferdinand, Turner, Al-Muhammadi, Malbranque (Cattermole, 62), Colback, Henderson, Zenden, Jones (Waghorn, 34).

Subs Not Used: Carson, Kay, Weir.