Bae Jun-ho (Stoke City) recorded a valuable assist after coming on as a substitute, leading his team to a convincing victory.

On the 9th (Korean time), Stoke City secured a 2-0 victory over Oldham Athletic (fourth tier) in the first round of the 2026–2027 England Football League Cup (EFL Cup) at the bet365 Stadium in Stoke-on-Trent, England.

Bae Jun-ho came on in the 21st minute of the second half, replacing Milijan Manev with his team leading 1-0. In the 37th minute, Bae threaded a precise forward pass into the space behind the opposition's defense. Robert Bozenik received the pass, dribbled forward on his own, and calmly slotted a right-footed shot past the goalkeeper in a one-on-one situation to score the second goal. Thanks to Bae's clinching assist, Stoke City sealed a 2-0 win.

During his 24-minute appearance, Bae stood out in attack and link-up play even after coming off the bench. In particular, he won 2 out of 4 ground duels, demonstrating solid performance.

Meanwhile, on the same day at the Swansea.com Stadium in Wales, Paik Seung-ho (Birmingham City) and Um Ji-sung (Swansea City) faced off in the EFL Cup first round, drawing attention. Paik started the match and played until the 20th minute of the second half before being substituted, while Um was brought on in the 37th minute of the second half, each playing for their respective teams. The match ended with Birmingham City claiming a 1-0 victory thanks to August Priske's winning goal in the 44th minute of the first half.