Black Cats beaten in Germany

Sunderland went down to a 3-1 defeat to German side Hoffenheim in their final pre-season friendly at the Rhein-Neckar Arena this afternoon.

Jordan Henderson was on target for the Black Cats with a free-kick which he curled into the top corner via an upright in the 65th minute.

By then, though, Steve Bruce’s men were two goals down, Croatian defender Josip Simunic scoring twice inside the first 30 minutes.

Prince Tagoe, who played for Ghana at the World Cup, added a third for the Bundesliga side just a minute after Henderson’s goal, slotting home from close range.

Sunderland start their Premier League campaign at home to Birmingham on Saturday.