Stoke City 0-2 Sheffield United: United Back to Winning Ways in Penultimate Game | OneFootball

Sheffield United left the Bet 365 Stadium with all three points, scoring two goals without reply against Stoke City on Friday night.

Sam McCallum got the scoring underway when he sprung highest from a corner to nod the ball in at the near post after the ball was flicked on at the back post.

The Blades made sure of three points when substitute Andre Brooks scored with his first touch, roughly 30 seconds after coming off the bench, placing his left-footed first-time effort beyond Viktor Johansson with just a few minutes of normal time remaining.

Chris Wilder hinted at freshening up the team in the build-up, and United’s chief made half a dozen changes for this one. Sam McCallum replaced Harrison Burrows, Rob Holding replaced Anel Ahmedhodzic, Femi Seriki came in for Sydie Peck which saw Hamza Choudhury partner Vinicius Souza in midfield.

Callum O’Hare, Rhian Brewster and Tyrese Campbell all came back into the starting eleven with Gustavo Hamer, Ben Brereton Diaz and Tom Cannon dropping out. Hamer was not included in the matchday squad altogether, but he was seen in the away end.

Lineups

Stoke: Johansson, Gooch, Pearson (Lawal 32), Burger, Baker, Junho (Al-Hamadi 72), Wilmot, Gallagher, Tchamadeu (Koumas 85), Phillips, Manhoef (Wilson-Esbrand 85).

Unused: Bonham, Seko, Gibson, Moran, Lowe.

Blades: Cooper, McCallum (Burrows 65), Holding, Brewster (Brooks 85), Moore, O’Hare (Ahmedhodzic 90), Robinson, Souza, Campbell (Cannon 65), Choudhury, Seriki (Peck 65).

Unused: A. Davies, Gilchrist, Caceres, Oné.

First Half

United made a bright start at the Bet365 Stadium, creating an early opening inside the first 10 minutes. It was a lively return for Campbell, who had scored his first United goal against his former club back in October, and he nearly repeated the feat, but his shot was well saved by Stoke goalkeeper Viktor Johansson.

Campbell remained a constant threat. He almost found the breakthrough again, latching onto a Kieffer Moore knockdown only to see his deflected shot whistle wide.

Stoke responded quickly, with Lewis Baker driving forward and feeding Manhoef, whose pass set up Junho, but his effort was comfortably gathered by United keeper Cooper.

The breakthrough came in the 38th minute, and it was United who struck first. From a Brewster inswinging corner, a Stoke player inadvertently kept the ball alive at the back post, allowing McCallum to power a header into the roof of the net, helped by a deflection. It was no more than United deserved after a strong first-half showing.

Stoke almost responded in spectacular fashion just before the break, as Lewis Baker curled a brilliant effort inches past the left-hand post, much to the relief of the travelling supporters.

Second Half

STOKE ON TRENT, ENGLAND – APRIL 25: Andre Brooks of Sheffield United scores his team’s second goal during the Sky Bet Championship match between Stoke City FC and Sheffield United FC at Bet365 Stadium on April 25, 2025 in Stoke on Trent, England. (Photo by Nathan Stirk/Getty Images)

The second half began with the same intensity, with three bookings dished out inside the opening 15 minutes. Stoke’s Wilmot and Johansson saw yellow, as did United’s McCallum, who was later replaced as part of a triple substitution alongside Campbell and Seriki, with Burrows, Cannon, and Peck coming on.

Robins threw on Al Hamadi in search of an equaliser, and he quickly made his presence felt, heading straight at Cooper when left unmarked, before being denied once more in a one-on-one situation by the impressive United stopper, though replays show that he did stray offside.

Stoke dominated possession throughout much of the second half, but United struck decisively on the counterattack a few minutes from time. Substitute Andre Brooks scored with his very first touch, slotting home at the back post after a low driven cross from fellow sub Peck.

The Blades have one more game left before the play-offs get underway, so they will be looking to see the regular campaign out with another win next Saturday when they host Blackburn Rovers.