AFCON 2025
Crystal Palace, Brentford and Grimsby Town all booked their places in the next round of the Carabao Cup on a dramatic night of football, with two ties decided by penalty shoot-outs.
At Selhurst Park, Crystal Palace squeezed past Championship side Millwall after a tense 1-1 draw. Chris Richards had put the hosts in front, only for Ryan Leonard to equalise late on.
Palace’s new goalkeeper Walter Benítez emerged as the hero, saving twice in the shoot-out to hand Oliver Glasner’s side a 4-2 win on penalties and extend their unbeaten run this season.
Debutants Jaydee Canvot and Christantus Uche also featured for the Premier League club.
In west London, Brentford also needed penalties to edge Aston Villa after a lively contest ended 1-1 in normal time. Harvey Elliott struck for Villa just before half-time, but Aaron Hickey levelled early in the second half to restore parity.
Both teams pushed for a winner but could not find a breakthrough, and Brentford held their nerve from the spot, converting all four of their efforts to progress 4-2 in the shoot-out.
Elsewhere, Grimsby Town pulled off the night’s upset with a 1-0 victory away at Sheffield Wednesday. The League Two side frustrated their hosts with disciplined defending before snatching the decisive goal, sending their travelling fans home delighted and securing a memorable place in the next round.
