EFL Sky Bet Championship
Saturday 23 August 2025
St. Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park, Birmingham
Birmingham City… 1
(Ho Paik 40’)
Oxford United… 0
Oxford United fell to a narrow 1-0 defeat to Birmingham City at St Andrews, despite a battling performance.
Seung-Ho Paik’s goal with five minutes left to play in the first half was the difference between the sides in what was a much improved display from United, giving plenty of promise ahead of Wednesday’s Carabao Cup home clash against Brighton & Hove Albion.
Gary Rowett made several changes from last week’s late defeat to Hull City, giving Brian De Keersmaecker his competitive debut after injury, with Sam Long, Siriki Dembele and Hidde ter Avest also coming in.
Last Sunday, Hull took the lead after one minute, and this week, it was Oxford trying to get the early goal, Tyler Goodrham curling an effort a few yards wide from 20 yards out inside the first minute.
Birmingham City have invested tens of millions in their squad over the last 12 months, and one of their new recruits this summer, Kyogo Furuhashi, should have put the hosts 1-0 in front after 11 minutes, but he slotted past Jamie Cumming and his post after being played through.
United were hitting back with their own opportunities with the best of the half coming five minutes later for Cameron Brannagan. A stunning cross field ball from De Keersmaecker found Dembele, who laid it onto Brannagan for the stinging shot from range which was just tipped away by Ryan Asslop.
Kyogo had another glorious chance on 28 minutes, this time Demari Gray picked out the Japanese international with an inch-perfect cross, but he could only head over from close range.
As United looked as though they were stemming the City threat, on 40 minutes, the Blues did take the lead. Ethan Laird sprinted past Goodrham down the host’s left side for the cutback to Seung-Ho Paik who slide in to poke the ball into the bottom right corner.
The Yellows began the second half with a spring in their step, almost getting in behind the Birmingham defence on more than one occasion inside the opening 15 minutes.
Neither side threatened either goalkeeper, but it was an incredibly competitive battle, with United giving Birmingham everything they could to muster the chance for the equaliser.
Right at the death, the major chance of the game fell to Mark Harris, with Stan Mills’ low cross finding the Welsh international but he could only turn his shot wide of the post and with that, United’s chance of a point was gone.
Much improved from last weekend, now onto Brighton at home followed by Coventry City before the international break.
Birmingham City: Allsop, Laird, Klarer, Neumann, Ho Paik, Kyogo (Doyle 60’), Gray (Anderson 85’), Willumsson, Iwata, Osayi Samuel, Stansfield (Dykes 88’)
Subs Not Used: Beadle, Leonard, Gardner-Hickman, Fujimoto, Ducksch, Cashin
Oxford United: Cumming, Long, Helik, Brannagan, De Keersmaecker (Vaulks 76’), Spencer, Goodrham (Placheta 67’), Leigh, Dembele (Mills 85’), Ter Avest (Phillips 76’), Lankshear (M. Harris 67’)
Subs Not Used: Ingram, Moore, Bradshaw, Currie
Attendance: 27,342
