Sunderland Overcome Athletic Club to continue unbeaten Premier League International Cup Campaign

Sunderland backed up their impressive win over Athletic Club last week with a 1-0 win over Sporting CP in the Premier League International Cup

Romaine Mundle scored the only goal of the game in a fixture that the home side dominated possession-wise but lacked the ruthlessness to finish the game off.

The hosts were boosted by the addition of Leo Hjelde, Mundle and Denis Cirkin as they stepped up their return to fitness. Cirkin got 90 minutes under his belt with the others playing the first-half, as was pre-planned.

Mundle and Sunderland started the game the liveliest, the winger was a constant threat on the left-hand side throughout the first 45.

The first shot on goal came from Mundle after Cirkin had skipped past his marker in Sunderland’s half, after being allowed to progress up the pitch, he layed it off to the winger who cut inside but the shot was straight at Guilherme Pires.

The hosts dominated the opening 20 minutes of the game with much of the possession, however, they failed to break down the deep Portugese defence.

Mundle would have been disappointed to not open the scoring 25 minutes in as Timur Tutierov won the ball high up the pitch and found his team-mate around the penalty spot. Unfortunately he was unable to challenge the keeper who pulled off a routine save.

The left-winger was involved again, as he stung the gloves of Pires a few minutes later, dancing around the edge of the Sporting box before he unleashed a powerful strike that was denied by the Portuguese man.

Mundle finally got his goal after 33 minutes. Receiving the ball off Ben Middlemas, he made room to get a shot off, that this time, was too powerful for Pires.

Two minutes later, Sunderland nearly doubled their lead. Mundle again, glided down the left wing and played in the under-lapping Cirkin. His low cross was met by Jake Waters but he could only hit the side-netting.

The two combined again, five minutes before the interval. Waters drifted away from defenders in a crowded penalty area to get a header which went narrowly north of the crossbar.

Timur Tutierov was next to come close to getting the second. Mundle’s outside of the boot pass just made its way to the winger; one-on-one with the en-rushing keeper, his shot went just wide.

Sunderland started the second half as they did the first, testing the Sporting defence. There was a flurry of chances as Cirkin and Middlemas had shots that worried the visiting keeper; Waters also had two half chances, one from a low cross and also a looping one, both delivered from the right.

Harrison Jones came close to scoring on 67 minutes, sliding in to poke the ball past Pires but his effort trickled to the wrong side of the post.

Blondy Nna Noukeu almost gifted the visitors an equaliser on 75 minutes, his loose ball was played into substitute Sandro Ferreira, who only had to put the ball into the gaping goal. His shot was blazed over, leaving him with his head in his hands.

The win will give a significant boost to Sunderland’s chances of progressing into the quarter-finals of the competition. They face Borussia Dortmund in their final group game on the 21st January.

Sunderland u21: Nna Noukeu; Holcroft, Hjelde (Neild 45’), Jaydon Jones, Cirkin; Middlemas, Harrison Jones, Kindon; Mundle (Moore 45’), Waters (Scott 61’), Tutierov.

Subs: Metcalf, Walsh, Lightfoot, Hunt.

Sporting CP u21: Pires; Nikitenko, Alves, Silva (Mota 68’), Momade (Machado 86’); Simao (Soares 77’), Estrela, Sanha, Peixoto (Ferreira 68’); Martins (Marques 77’), Almeida.

Unused subs: Cunha, Leitao.