Oxford United will be looking make it back-to-back wins on the bounce when they welcome a struggling Cheltenham Town to the Kassam Stadium for their League One clash on New Year’s Eve with kickoff at 18:00.
Oxford United have made another impressive campaign in League One this season and they seem to have their eyes on another top six finish. They currently sit in the fifth spot on 42 points collected from their 23 matches and are just seven points behind the league leaders Sunderland.
They head into the match in a good form having just lost one of their last six matches claiming three wins and two draws in the run and are coming off a 3-0 win against AFC Wimbledon on Wednesday night. Goals from Mark Sykes, Matthew Taylor and Sam Long secured Oxford’s eighth home league victory of the campaign and the result saw them climb into their current spot in the rankings.
They will therefore be looking to maintain their momentum as they aim at climbing further up the table and a victory for Karl Robinson’s side would help consolidate their place in the playoffs. However, Oxford have been struggling against Cheltenham as they failed to win any of their last eight meetings, including a 1-0 defeat away from home earlier this season.
Cheltenham have been on and off this season with club recording seven wins, seven draws and nine defeats from their 23 matches to collect 28 points which have left them sitting in the 14th spot level on point with the 13th-placed Burton and are six points behind the 10th-placed Accrington Stanley with a game in hand.
Unlike their hosts, Cheltenham were unable to play their midweek fixture against MK Dons due to coronavirus outbreak as well as a number of injuries to their squad. Also, they head into the match in a poor form as they haven’t won in any of their last six matches and suffered a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Plymouth at home in their last League One fixture, a match that head coach Michael Duff missed after also testing positive for Covid-19.
The Robins will thus be looking to put an end to their slump that has seen them drop into the bottom half of the table with eight points above the relegation zone. They need to end their disappointing form if there are to avoid a fight for survival and they have a p[effect chance here against a side they have been dominating lately.
Oxford vs Cheltenham head to head
Both sides have met in 24 encounters since 2003 with Cheltenham claiming eight victories while Oxford have claimed seven victories and there have been nine draws.
- Cheltenham 1-0 Oxford 18/09/21
- Cheltenham 1-4 Oxford 08/01/19
- Oxford 3-4 Cheltenham 08/08/17
- Oxford 1-2 Cheltenham 03/01/15
- Cheltenham 1-1 Oxford 29/11/14
Home
- Oxford 3-0 Wimbledon
- Oxford 2-3 Wigan
- MK Dons 1-2 Oxford
- Doncaster 1-2 Oxford
- Sunderland 1-1 Oxford
Away
- Cheltenham 0-2 Plymouth
- Shrewsbury 3-2 Cheltenham
- Cheltenham 2-2 Lincoln
- Cheltenham 0-5 Cambridge
- Wimbledon 4-3 Cheltenham
Oxford team news
Oxford will be without Alex Gorrin, James Henry, Jamie Hanson and Joel Cooper due to injuries while Dan Agyei will still miss due to testing positive for the coronavirus.
Cheltenham team news
Watford loanee Mattie Pollock is one of several first-team players in self-isolation, so it remains to be seen what team is selected by Duff this weekend.
Prediction and odds
- Oxford United win
- Goals under 2.5
- Draw
