Birmingham City were beaten 3-1 at home to Braga as the Championship side got their Europa League Group H campaign underway on Thursday.
Last season's beaten finalists ultimately proved they had too much class in front of goal to leave Chris Hughton's side with an uphill task if they are to qualify for the knockout phase. Helder Barbosa bagged two goals for them, with Rodrigo Lima also on the mark against a solitary Marlon King strike for the Blues.
Birmingham should have taken an early lead when, charging down the right wing, King laid off the perfect pass for Adam Rooney. Remarkably, when a sweeping effort with his right foot appeared on the cards, Rooney instead snatched at it with his left, side-footing a gilt-edged chance into the side-netting.
There was a high price to pay for the miss because within 90 seconds Braga had opened the scoring in stunning fashion. From the left, Elderson flicked in a curling cross to the edge of the area where Barbosa thundered a 20-yard left-footed volley beyond Boaz Myhill.
Birmingham were in the hunt thereafter until the 59th minute when Braga grabbed a second.
From the left wing Elderson delivered a piercing cross into the area for Nuno Gomes, with Lima at that stage a good yard offside, although not interfering with play. The ball, however, fell fortuitously into the path of Lima, and - in now in the next phase of play - he needed no second invitation to lash a ten-yard half-volley into the roof of the net.
Birmingham had hope again with 19 minutes left. Minutes after Myhill had made another oustanding fingertip save to deny Lima, substitute Chris Burke produced an angled run and low pull back into the six-yard box for King to tap home into an empty net.
However, Braga hit City on the counter three minutes from time to seal the points, with Barbosa firing ruthlessly into the roof of the net.