Oldham's summer signing Oli Norburn turned in Sorba Thomas's corner attempting a headed clearance, giving Stoke the lead three minutes after the re-start. Stoke relaxed after that and sealed the win eight minutes from time when Bae Jun-Ho put a through ball to Bozenik which the Slovakian finished low into the bottom right corner from 14 yards out. Despite the defeat, Mick Mellon's Oldham will feel they punched above their weight for much of the contest. The Potters had posted draws with Crewe and Villareal as well as a win over Premier League Everton in their warm-up campaign.
What happened?
Stoke City continued a promising pre-season by edging past League Two Oldham 2-0 at the bet365 Stadium in the opening round of the EFL Cup. The Potters had posted draws with Crewe and Villareal as well as a win over Premier League Everton in their warm-up campaign.
Why it matters for Oldham
Yet despite the defeat, Mick Mellon's Oldham will feel they punched above their weight for much of the contest. The Latics competed well, with Calum Kavanagh a threat up front, putting in Mike Fondop early only for the striker to be denied twice by Viktor Johansson.
What comes next?
Next fixture: vs Chesterfield (away, 2027-02-20) (15th in the table). Oldham will look to bounce back from this defeat and continue their preparations for the upcoming season. The team will be eager to build on their positive pre-season campaign and make a strong start to the new season.
Oldham's summer signings
Robins was able to field three of his summer signings, with Svante Ingelsson and £10m Ethan Galbraith looking solid in the midfield and ex-Dundee player Luke Graham in defence. The signings have added depth and quality to the team, and it will be interesting to see how they perform in the upcoming season.
Oldham's chances in the EFL Cup
Oldham made the final in 1989-90, and while they may not be favorites to win the competition this year, they will be looking to cause an upset and make a deep run in the tournament. The team's positive pre-season campaign suggests that they may be capable of beating some of the bigger teams in the competition.
