Scott Twine scored twice as Bristol City stunned Championship promotion favourites Sheffield United on the opening matchday of 2025-26, triumphing 4-1 at Bramall Lane.

Just five minutes into the new campaign, Twine bent a wonderful free-kick over the Sheffield United wall and into the top-left corner from 25 yards out, giving Michael Cooper no chance.

The Blades started to boss proceedings afterwards and levelled through Tyrese Campbell following a driving run from Callum O'Hare in the 14th minute, but Bristol City continued to profit on the counter.

They went back in front when Ross McCrorie overlapped Twine to steer a fine finish into the bottom-left corner in the 26th minute, and 37 seconds into the second half, Anis Mehmeti stroked home to make it 3-1.

They had a fourth in the 52nd minute, with Twine's shot taking a massive deflection off Tyler Bindon and looping over Cooper to cap a miserable debut in the Sheffield United dugout for Ruben Selles, who gave his players an abrupt team talk on the pitch after the final whistle.

New Bristol City boss Gerhard Struber, meanwhile, can celebrate a win that has his team top of the young Championship table.

The season's first slate of 3pm kick-offs was headlined by a dramatic fightback from Stoke City, who scored twice in stoppage time to beat Derby County 3-1.

Mark Robins' side trailed to a Carlton Morris goal, only for Lewis Baker's equaliser to tee up a grandstand finish.

Divin Mubama climbed to nod home five minutes into stoppage time, then Sorba Thomas finished off a clinical counter-attack led by Jamie Donley to make Stoke's victory safe.

West Brom also got off to a winning start under former Tottenham Hotspur assistant Ryan Mason, as Isaac Price's scrappy finish handed them a 1-0 victory over Blackburn Rovers.

Mason's men had captain Darnell Furlong sent off for a second bookable offence in the 95th minute, but Blackburn never threatened a fightback, only recording one shot on target.

Elsewhere, Dael Fry's goal handed Middlesbrough a 1-0 home win over Swansea City, Macaulay Langstaff came off the bench to net an 81st-minute winner as Millwall beat Norwich City 2-1 at Carrow Road, and Portsmouth won 1-0 at Oxford United.

Data Debrief: Robins' revenge

Bristol City's hopes of promotion to the Premier League were wrecked by Sheffield United last season, with the Blades beating them 6-0 on aggregate in the play-off semi-finals – a record scoreline in the Championship play-offs.

But after seeing Sunderland beat Sheffield United in the Wembley final, the Robins had a chance for revenge – one they took with aplomb.

Twine was the catalyst, and his stunning opener was his 16th direct free-kick goal in Football League games since the start of the 2020-21 season.

That is the most of any player in English league football in that time, with James Ward-Prowse second with 11. No other player has reached double figures (Danny Andrew has seven).