Bristol City took the game to Sheffield United from the offset, ending in a 4-1 victory and a scintillating performance from several assets under Gerhard Struber.
Twine and McCrorie Crucial For Glory
The most notable performers for the Robins were Ross McCrorie and Scott Twine, with a general team quality appearing even higher than the level assumed under Liam Manning last season. With the Robins achieving a play-off place in 2024/25, City subsequently lost heavily on aggregate to Sheffield United. Under the former Red Bull Salzburg manager, revenge was served viciously to the Blades.
Twine opened the scoring with a sumptuous free-kick, which landed high into the top-left corner. The 26-year-old scored twice and contributed an assist before being forced off in a cautionary substitution during the 70th minute. McCrorie hit a wonderful strike into the bottom left corner following a fast break by City, to restore Struber’s side’s lead. Before this, Tyreese Campbell’s powerful attempt saw the game level at 1-1 in the 14th minute.
Anis Mehmeti took no time to continue the Robins’ fine performance, adding a third to their tally just a minute after the second half commenced. Emil Riis created the chance, with the former Preston North End striker looking back to his best following a 12-goal final campaign and a release from the Lilywhites.
Wing-Back Looks Unstoppable
As a flying wing-back, McCrorie looked exceptionally dangerous down the right-hand side, knocking the ball back to Twine before the former Milton Keynes Dons attacker saw his deflected shot bounce over the line. Sheffield United had looked threatening for the majority of the first half, with Louie Barry and Femi Seriki being the biggest talents in the Blades outfit.
With Manning’s departure, it was a vitally important three points to kickstart a new era under Struber and strike confidence into the players as they look to replicate a play-off finish. Jason Knight’s determination to block a Tom Cannon strike late on saw the captain prevent any consolation goals from the Blades. A fine stop from Radek Vitek also kept the game at 4-1.
Writer’s View
McCrorie’s role down the right channel unlocked Twine as an attacking asset. In fact, their partnership was unlocked by the forward play from Riis. The striker had an underrated performance in his professional debut for the Robins, holding the ball up carefully and adding an opening weekend assist to his tally.
Mehmeti was fantastic again, with the Albanian’s threat being inconsistent in the best possible way. The winger chose the right moments to provide a burst of pace or trickery and move City up the pitch authentically. Struber will be pleased with such a dominant performance without needing constant possession, lauding them as underdogs for another campaign.
