It was a night of mixed emotions for 18-year-old Lithuanian defender Dovydas Sasnauskas, who made his official first-team debut for Sheffield United in the Carabao Cup. Despite a determined performance, the Blades fell 2-1 to fellow Championship side Birmingham City, bowing out of the competition in the first round.
Sasnauskas, who impressed during pre-season with several appearances for the senior squad, was named in the starting lineup for this high-stakes cup tie. The teenager was immediately thrown into the deep end, facing Birmingham’s dangerous attack, led by former Celtic star Kyogo Furuhashi.
The Japanese forward made an early impact. In the 5th minute, a miscommunication between Sasnauskas and goalkeeper Adam Davies proved costly. Sasnauskas’ back pass failed to reach Davies, allowing Demarai Gray to intercept and square the ball for Furuhashi, who slotted into an empty net to make it 1-0.
Birmingham kept up the pressure for much of the first half, creating several clear chances, but wasteful finishing and some luck kept Sheffield within touching distance. The Blades made the most of that fortune in the 72nd minute, when Gustavo Hamer produced a moment of magic – receiving the ball in midfield, taking one touch forward, and launching an incredible strike from the halfway line to level the match at 1-1.
However, the visitors couldn’t hold on. In the 87th minute, Jay Stansfield’s clever movement wrong-footed his marker before drilling a shot into the net from just inside the penalty area, sealing Birmingham’s 2-1 victory.
Sasnauskas completed the full 90 minutes in his debut, showing flashes of potential despite the tough start.
