Cardiff City 0-2 Sunderland: Le Bris' surprise approach, one unlikely goal and one familiar in strong start

Sunderland started their Championship campaign with a 2-0 win away at Cardiff City.

The Bluebirds dominated possession for large spells of the game but Luke O’Nien’s first-half header gave the Black Cats a valuable lead and after riding spells of pressure through the second, they made the points safe thanks to a Jack Clarke goal late on.

Here’s the story of the game from a Sunderland perspective...

SUNDERLAND GET THROUGH BRIGHT BLUEBIRDS START

Le Bris sprung no surprises with his starting XI, going with the same side who earned a creditabel draw against Marseille last weekend. Perhaps unsurprisingly with the home crowd at their backs, it was the home side who started the stronger of the two. They were moving the ball quickly and pressing Sunderland aggressively, often forcing Sunderland to go long and put Eliezer Mayenda into a physical battle with the opposition central defenders he was unlikely to win. Thge hosts had the better of the early chances, Dennis Cirkin doing well to make a block from Ollie Tanner. From the following corner, a smart cross from Tanner was flicked towards goal by Dimitrios Goutas and only a superb reflex save by Anthony Patterson kept his side level.

THE BLACK CATS TAKE THE LEAD FROM AN UNLIKELY AVENUE

Sunderland settled a little and did threaten on the break but their opening goal came from a fairly unlikely source. Cardiff had been one of the best teams in the division from set pieces last season and Sunderland, well, weren’t. But they won a free kick in a dangerous position when Clarke surged infield and drew a foul. Roberts flicked a gorgeous ball to the back post, where Cirkin was unmarked and able to head back across goal. O’Nien met it a couple of yards out and did the rest, keeping his effort down and finding the back of the net.

The goal settled the visitors, who began to find their passing rhythm and get up the pitch. They had a couple of promising moments not long after, Mayenda seeing na effort deflected wide before Jobe was just unable to get on the end of a Clarke cross.

CARDIFF RECOVER BUT SUNDERLAND LOOK DANGEROUS ON THE BREAK

Cardiff’s confidence had bene knocked by the goal but they recovered and began to slowly take control of possession again. Sunderland looked happy enough with this, generally defending quite deep in a low block and looking to spring quickly onto the break. Crucially, Cardiff weren’t really threatening though the visitors were fortunate that Robinson couldn’t connect properly with his volley after a nice cross from Willock, Patterson eventually having an easy save.

Sunderland were getting into decent areas when they did break without finding the final pass to forge a chance, one particularly dangerous Clarke cross going just beyond the touch of a team mate. They worked a lovely opening on the stroke of half time when Cirkin, superb throughout the half, burst forward and found Job. He found Roberts who found Browne, but from a promising position the midfielder fired his cross high and wide. Cardiff then had a chance of their own before the whistle blew, Tanner rising to meet a Willock cross but heading wide of the near post.

CARDIFF TAKE CONTROL

Cardiff took control of the second half as they pushed for an equaliser, with Callum Robinson claiming he should have had a penalty when he want down under a challenge in the box. Genuine chance were still few and far between for the hosts, who were wasteful from a couple of promising crossing positions. But there were real danger signs for Sunderland nevertheless, who badly lacked an outlet up top and were being pushed back towards their own goal far too often.

BIG SUNDERLAND CHANCE GOES BEGGING

Sunderland had been pushed back to the edge of their own box for the vast majority of the second half, and so Cardiff were caught cold when they were able to beat the press and play out with just over 20 minutes to play. The visitors did everything right, working it quickly into Jobe in the right-hand channel, who then played an inch-perfect pass into the path of Mayenda. The striker took a moment to compose himself and got a good shot away, denied only by a brilliant intervention from Horvath in the Cardiff goal as he stuck out a boot to divert wide. Sunderland had been on the back foot all half but this was the best chance either side had been able to create.

VISITORS STAND FIRM AND SECURE THE POINTS

Cardiff continued to see more of the ball but to Sunderland’s credit, they had created little in the way of significant chances. The additions of Chris Rigg and Nazariy Rusyn from the bench added some welcome energy to the Black Cats side, who were starting to get higher up the pitch. They made the points safe a minute before the regular 90 was up, all starting with a brilliant bid of midfield playferom Jobe. He raced back into midfield to pinch the ball of Colwill, a superb challenge that left the hosts exposed. They worked the ball to Clarke inside the box and from there he did the rest, cutting in and finding the bottom corner with his effort.

It was a pragmatic but impressive away performance from Sunderlnad. They defended resolutely for large parts of the game and were quite happy to cede possession. It perhaps wasn’t quite what we expected from a Le Bris team but it was effective and they managed to retain a threat on the break. After a dismal first half of 2024, this was a very welcome way to start the season.

Sunderland XI: Patterson; Hume, O’Nien, Alese, Cirkin; Neil, Browne; Roberts (Rigg, 77), Jobe, Clarke (Mundle, 90); Mayenda (Rusyn, 71)

Subs: Moore, Johnson, Triantis, Ba, Aouchiche, Ekwah

Cardiff City XI: Horvath; Ng, Goutas, Chambers, O’Dowda; Ralls (Turnbull, 77), Siopis; Willock (Colwill, 77), Ramsey, Tanner (Meite, 61); Robinson (Kanga, 67)

Subs: Alnwick, Robertson, Bagan, Fagan-Walcott, Rinomhota

Bookings: Hume, 50 Alese, 81