Sky Bet EFL Championship
Wednesday 25 February 2026
Bet365 Stadium, Stoke
Stoke City… 2
(Cisse 36’, Rak-Sakyi 57’)
Oxford United… 1
(Brown 44’)
Stoke City defeated Oxford United 2-1 despite a spirited away performance.
The first chance of the game came for the hosts on the 12th minute. An outstanding clearance from the Stoke keeper hit United on the break and Jesurun Rak-Sakyi went one-on-one with Jamie Cumming who had to produce a find point blank save.
Stan Mills was causing Stoke all sorts of problems down the right side and he had his first opportunity on goal on the 23rd minute, bursting beyond the defence and just dragging his effort wide.
Straight up the other end and Stoke threatened, this time through Million Manhoef who curled an effort narrowly wide from the right corner of the penalty box.
It was end-to-end at this point, with United going straight on the attack, with Jin Woo Jeon doing well to help set up a chance for Will Lankshear who hit a first-time effort on goal from 18 yards which was held.
United were putting the pressure on, but it was from a moment on the attack where Stoke got the opening goal. Gaining the ball from a Will Vaulks long throw, Stoke pounced and with one ball Lamine Cisse was through on goal and he slotted under Cumming.
Then, with one minute to go in the half, Ciaron Brown produced a volley from the top drawer to get Oxford back into the game. It was a superbly worked short corner which ended with Vaulks chipping into the box for an onrushing Mills, who headed it across the box to the Northern Irish man to lash into the back of the net.
Aidomo Emakhu came on at half-time and he was causing all sorts of bother straight away. He won a dangerous freekick on the 53rd minute near the goal line, which Brannagan whipped in for Lankshear to touch onto the bar, and it knocked off a Stoke player and almost trickled in.
It would prove costly, as Stoke did regain the lead a few minutes later. Sorba Thomas played a dangerous cross in from the left to the back post for the winger who headed down and across goal and beyond Cumming.
On 66 minutes Matt Bloomfield made a triple change which almost worked to perfection. Ole Romeny played the perfect ball through to Nik Prelec and but for a last ditch challenge was on for a shot at goal.
Vaulks had to be on hand on the other side to stop a certain Stoke goal, as he had to head Cisse’s header off the line from a Thomas corner.
It wasn’t enough in the end, as United slipped to defeat, with all roads now leading to West Brom on Saturday.
Stoke City: Simkin, Thomas, Nzonzi, Wilmot Bocat, Rigo, Rak-Sakyi, Phillips, Cisse, Talovierov, Manhoef
Subs: Fielding, Pearson, Junho, Seko, Gibson, Smit, Agina, Otegbayo, Kelly
Oxford United: Cumming, Long, Brown, Vaulks, Brannagan (Konak 66’), Mills (Romeny 66’), Currie, Lankshear (Prelec 66’), Jin Woo (Emakhu 46’), Makosso, Peart-Harris
Subs: Ingram, Helik, Harris, Roosken, ter Avest
Attendance: 20,153