Manchester City secured victory against Sunderland and United States international Jozy Altidore in the Barclays Asia Trophy thanks to a solitary first half goal from Edin Dzeko on a rain-soaked pitch in Hong Kong.
Manuel Pellegrini's side took the lead through Dzeko's unstoppable 10th-minute volley, smashing the ball into the back of the net, but the Bosnian missed a chance to wrap up the win from the penalty spot in the second half.
Paolo Di Canio named an unchanged side from
the team that beat Tottenham in midweek, while City's Chilean boss fielded new-boy Alvaro Negredo from the start after a lively cameo against South China.
Sunderland, giving an early taste of of the high-pressing, tenacious style it is likely to employ this season, started the match brightly, with fit-again Wes Brown – a goalscorer against Spurs – flicking a header wide.
But it was the Premier League runnerup who took the lead. Yaya Toure's scooped pass was cleared by Brown only as far as Dzeko who, on the edge of the box, unleashed a ferocious left-footed volley that flew past Vito Mannone.
City's Spaniard's then combined as David Silva, making his first appearance of the preseason schedule, released Negredo, but the 27-year-old fired high and wide. The new signing from Sevilla had another sighter at goal at the half-hour mark, but lashed the ball over the bar.
The pitch, a major concern before the match, was becoming increasingly sodden and cut-up after more heavy rain, but Sunderland were unfazed. Altidore fed Emanuele Giaccherini, who forced Costel Pantilimon into a solid stop.
On the stroke of halftime, City almost doubled its lead as Silva curved a devilish free kick into the box which was headed onto the foot of his own post by right-back Craig Gardner.
A number of substitutions at the break, which included the introduction of Spain international Jesus Navas, coupled with the deterioration of the turf, saw the game dissolve as a spectacle, with a scrappy, subdued affair taking over.
Fernandinho, on in place of Yaya Toure, finally brought a spark to a lifeless second half. The Brazilian's flick was handled in the box by El-Hadji Ba, but Dzeko blazed the resulting penalty over the bar.
The misery of that spot-kick miss was compiled by a serious-looking injury to center back Matija Nastasic, who had to be stretchered off the field of play – the second major casualty of the showpiece tournament's treacherous pitch after Spurs' Jan Vertonghen.
Navas had a chance to guarantee the victory in the closing stages, but his shot, despite beating goalkeeper Keiren Westwood, was cleared off the line from beneath his own crossbar by Gardner.
Sunderland had a late chance to level the scores, despite Pellegrini taking a leaf out of predecessor Roberto Mancini's book by bringing on Gareth Barry, when Sebastian Larsson fired a free kick towards goal. Pantilimon pawed it away and City held on to win.
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