Carabao Cup Round Two
Wednesday 27 August 2025
Kassam Stadium, Oxford
Oxford United… 0
Brighton & Hove Albion… 6
(Boscagli 13’, Gruda 20’, Gomez 60’, Tzimas 71’ & 77’, Watson 87’)
Oxford United exited the Carabao Cup with a 6-0 defeat at home to Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion.
Despite several clear opportunities for United to take the lead and then get back into the game, it was the visitors who made their chances count to progress to Round Three.
Oxford United had a huge opportunity to take the lead after just 22 seconds, but Przemyslaw Placheta, on his first start of the season, couldn’t make it count. The Brighton defence played a loose ball across the box for the Polish winger around 10 yards out, but his shot wasn’t in the corner and Jason Steele kept him out.
Straight up the other end and it was Brighton who had a chance to take the early lead. Ferdi Kadioglu had a rasping effort from the edge of the box which was well turned away by Matt Ingram.
Barjan Gruda should have made it 1-0 to the visitors on 12 minutes. Played through on goal by the veteran James Milner, the German forward rounded Ingram but the goal gaping he took too long, and Jack Currie got back to clear.
It was all in vain, as one minute later Boscagli put the Premier League side 1-0 in front. The new signing from PSV found some space in the box but his shot took a wicked deflection off Currie and over Ingram.
Seven minutes later, it was 2-0, this time Gruda getting on the scoresheet. A ball over the top from Joel Veltman found the 21-year-old, who expertly controlled himself to beat his marker Elliott Moore and hammer the ball into the net.
United pushed to get back into the game before half time, with Stan Mills creating a shooting opportunity which was straight down the neck of Steele.
Then on 38 minutes the best opportunity fell to Mark Harris to get the U’s back into the game. Another loose ball across the box fell to the Welsh international but with only keeper to beat, his shot was fired straight at Steele.
15 minutes into the second half and Brighton made it 3-0. A corner from the right wasn’t cleared at the first attempt and that gave Diego Gomez the chance to prod into the net from a few yards out.
Cameron Brannagan had a good chance with a freekick close to the edge of the area on 63 minutes, and despite hitting the ball as hard as he could, Steele stood strong to hold.
Gary Rowett made a host of changes a minute later, bringing Luke Harris and Nik Prelec off the bench for their Oxford United debuts.
With his first touch in an Oxford shirt, Prelec almost pulled a goal back, harassing the Brighton defence to power through on goal and again Steele made a strong stop.
It was 4-0 with 20 minutes left to play, another new signing Stefanos Tzimas on his debut racing through on goal and slotting into the corner. On 79 minutes, the striker got his second and Brighton’s fifth, again with another cool finish into the bottom right corner.
How United didn’t score on the 81st minute is anyone’s guess. Steele made two outrageous saves from Luke Harris and Nik Prelec, before Brian De Keersmaecker beat the keeper only for a Brighton body to somehow clear off the line. With three minutes to play, Tom Watson curled a shot into the top right corner to complete the score line.
A disappointing defeat on the score line, the team now need to bounce back on Saturday to show a reaction at home to Coventry City.
Oxford United: Ingram, Spencer (Sibley 54’), Moore, Long, Currie, Phillips (L.Harris 65’), Vaulks, Brannagan (De Keersmaecker 65’), Placheta (Prelec 65’), Mills, M. Harris (Bradshaw 82’)
Subs Not Used: Cumming, Ter Avest, Goodrham, Snowden
Brighton & Hove Albion: Steele, Julio, Gruda, Hinshelwood (Baleba 65’), Milner (Tasker 79’), Boscagu, Kadioglu (Tzimas 65’), Gomez (Watson 65’), Veltman (Kostoulas 79’), Coppola, Howell
Subs Not Used: McGill, Lamptey, O’Riley, Simmonds
Attendance: 9,010 (1,460 away)
64065 - 50/50 number
