The battle of the tinkermen ended honours even, but Roy Keane's side got far more out of Saturday's showpiece Stadium of Light game than Claudio Ranieri's.

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The former Chelsea manager was famous for tinkering with his starting line-up but Keane has eclipsed even that reputation – never naming the same team twice in a row since taking over at the Stadium of Light last year.

A game full of substitutions should have suited them both.

But both managers played their strongest team up until the break and it was Sunderland who went into half-time a goal up against one of the great names of European football.

Juventus had already had an early warning when Kieran Richardson's excellent delivery of a free-kick in the sixth minute was headed just over the bar by Paul McShane.

But a minute later Sunderland had the lead when Liam Miller swept the ball over from the right-hand corner flag, Dickson Etuhu's header was parried by £32million goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon and Daryl Murphy was Johnny-on-the-spot to stab home from a couple of yards out.

This was a different Sunderland side from the one seen on the Irish tour as Keane put out a team which could well be his starting line-up against Spurs this Saturday – bar injured right-winger Carlos Edwards.

And they responded with a pace, precision and passing game not seen since they were running rings around Luton Town in the 5-0 final-day thrashing back in May.

Not that this was an easy ride for Sunderland. Juventus are far too good for that and the likes of Pavel Nedved and Tiago Mendes were always dangerous.

Roy Keane fielded five of his six summer signings – Russell Anderson coming on as a second-half substitute – and £5million Tynesider Michael Chopra was warmly welcomed by fans, although the game still took only 28 seconds to register the first anti-Newcastle anthem of the season.

Both sides felt each other out before the game sparked into life with Murphy's goal.

Juventus had a chance to equalise in the 11th minute, but Hasan Salihamidzic drilled a low shot into the hoardings behind the goal.

Otherwise the Italians' best chances came from free-kicks.

On the quarter-hour, Nedved perfectly executed a free-kick, curled low and around the wall but Marton Fulop got down spectacularly well for a big man and palmed the ball away at the base of his left-hand post.

Juventus should have levelled midway through the first half when Nedved raced down the left-wing and put in a great cross towards the far post which Fulop got a hand to.

It dropped to David Trezeguet inside the six-yard box, but the France striker somehow drove his shot against the Sunderland keeper and on to the outside of the bar.

The home team were giving as good as they got though, as Sunderland fans warmed to the Black Cats' display.

A few minutes before Trezeguet's miss, Etuhu had headed just wide another fine Kieran Richardson delivery with Buffon stranded.

The game was evenly balanced up to the break – a Trezeguet miss, a Fulop save, Etuhu firing wide, Iaquinta dragging a shot across the keeper.

But, at the half-time whistle, Sunderland had proven the point that, despite an unremarkable pre-season up to this point, their best players had the ability to compete with top European opposition.

The second half saw both teams upping the tempo, but the profusion of substitutions did not help the flow of the game – both teams made eight changes.

Juventus enjoyed the lion's share of the possession and the pressure in the second half and Del Piero caused the home team problems but
Sunderland should have doubled the lead in the 86th minute when David Connolly inspired a breakaway move, with the striker putting in a cross from the right which ended with Stern John slicing a shot over the bar virtually from under it.

That would have made it 2-0 and neat revenge for the only other visit of Juventus to Sunderland when the Italians won 2-0 exactly 50 years ago.

Instead Sunderland could not even hold on to actual victory and had to be content with a moral one.

One last assault from Ranieri's side saw Del Piero play the ball into the path of fellow substitute Cristian Molinaro and the defender, who turned 24 last week, gave himself a late present with a fierce half-volley which spiralled over substitute keeper Darren Ward from left of goal and into his far corner.

Sunderland looked outraged and might have regained the lead almost immediately afterwards, but youngster Anthony Stokes' long-range shot beat keeper Belardi only to smack against the base of his right-hand post.

Despite the disappointment of the late draw, Sunderland will draw enormous confidence from the performance and result.

They showed themselves more than capable of living with the sort of top quality opposition that are completely comfortable passing the ball around well.

They will need to repeat the trick at least a couple of dozen times more next season.

SUNDERLAND: Fulop (sub Ward 46), Halford (sub Kay 86), Wallace (sub Collins 69), Nosworthy, McShane (sub Anderson 75), Miller, Whitehead (sub Yorke 60), Etuhu (sub Stokes 60), Richardson, Chopra (sub Connolly 60), Murphy (sub John 68). Subs not used: Leadbitter, Varga, Donaghue.

JUVENTUS: Buffon (sub Belardi 46), Zebina (sub Birindelli 46) , Chiellini (sub Criscito 73), Andrade, Grygera (sub Molinaro 46), Salihamidzic (sub Del Piero 46), Mendes (sub Noccerini 61), Almiron (sub Zannetti 69),Nedved, Iaquinta (sub Palladino 74), Trezegut. Subs not used: Van Stratten, Novembre, Boumsong, Blasi, Legrottaglie.

Referee: Mike Riley.
Att: 25,852.