Pre-Season Friendly
Tuesday 29 July 2025
Kassam Stadium, Oxford
Oxford United… 1
(Bradshaw 25’)
CD Leganes… 1
(Miquel 32’)
Oxford United drew 1-1 with CD Leganes in the penultimate pre-season friendly before the Championship season commences.
Tom Bradshaw opened the scoring against the Spanish sides after 25 minutes, but an equaliser seven minutes later was the last of the goal action in what was a fruitful 90 minutes for the U’s.
It was the first of back-to-back Spanish tests for United, with Leganes being followed by Malaga on Saturday.
Good challenges for Gary Rowett’s side with Portsmouth set for the Kassam in just over one weeks’ time, and the real business getting underway.
It was a rather sedated start to the game, but it burst into life on 16 minutes when Stan Mills forced San Roman into a strong save from close range at his near post.
The pressure was mounting, and Tom Bradshaw forced the next golden chance on 19 minutes. Chasing down the defender, he stole the ball, raced through on goal, but when the moment mattered his shot was saved and turned away.
The former Millwall striker would get his goal six minutes later after outstanding work from the lively Siriki Dembele. The Scottish winger done superbly well to win the ball back high up the park before feeding Bradshaw through and despite slipping at the crucial moment, he still managed to force the ball across goal and into the bottom right corner.
United were look strong at this point, but the visitors did equalise on 32 minutes. A simple freekick from deep found Ignasi Miquel unmarked, and the big central defender headed home.
Brodie Spencer is a new face to the Oxford United supporters and the Northern Ireland international was impressing throughout, the highlight of his performance being a stunning backheel nutmeg early in the second half, showing what he can do going forward.
Leganes showed their class throughout as a team who unfortunately fell on the wrong side of the relegation line in La Liga last year. Cisse, an all-action attacking midfielder, almost had the Spanish side ahead on 65 minutes, dragging a shot from range just wide.
Former Aberdeen forward Duk had another opportunity for the visitors on 74 minutes, with a dipping shot tipped over the bar by Jamie Cumming.
One of the number of changes in the second half was the introduction of Gatlin O’Donkor with the Youth Academy graduate not getting the connection on the ball required with his head when the ball was whipped into the box with 15 to play.
All square it ended, next up Malaga on Saturday and then the opener of the Championship season.
Oxford United: Cumming, Leigh (Currie 75’), Long (Kioso 68’), Moore, Spencer, De Keersmaecker (Sibley 75’), Brannagan, Phillips (Harris 68’), Mills (Snowden 81’), Dembele (Goodrham 46’), Bradshaw (O’Donkor 75’)
Subs Not Used: Ingram, Lacey
Attendance: 2085 (106 away)
