Kassam Stadium is set to host a match that could impact both ends of the table in the Championship when Oxford United welcome Watford on Saturday.
The U’s are in shocking form with the threat of relegation looming, while the Hornets will be looking for a place in the playoffs with nine games to play.
Match preview
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Gary Rowett‘s Oxford United are in a desperate position near the bottom of the table after a run of nine games without a win in the second tier.
Last time out, the U’s were beaten 2-1 by Hull City, and the boss was angry with his players for what he described as a lack of motivation despite being a team that are fighting for their lives.
That loss has left Rowett’s men 20th ahead of this weekend’s clash, where they are level on 39 points with Stoke City but are worryingly just four points above Derby County in the drop zone.
At Kassam Stadium, the hosts are without a win since January and have lost back-to-back matches against Coventry City and Portsmouth, but they could take confidence from the four-game winning streak they started the year with on their own turf as they hope to avoid a fifth defeat from their last six games.
If Oxford can break their winless run at the 10th time of asking, then they could end the matchday as high as 17th if they can better Portsmouth’s goal difference, but another loss may put them on the brink and give Derby the chance to close the gap to just one point.
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Meanwhile, Tom Cleverley‘s Watford have only lost one of their last five, winning three and drawing one in the process, and their hopes of making the playoffs are very much alive.
On Wednesday, the Hornets beat Swansea City 1-0 at Vicarage Road thanks to a goal from Moussa Sissoko, but it is notable that they only managed to score after a mistake by Swans midfielder Goncalo Franco.
Regardless, the three points they took in midweek has taken Cleverley’s side to 10th in the table, where they are now within four points of sixth-placed Coventry in the playoff spots.
The visitors will also feel confident of securing a positive result this weekend given that they have avoided defeat in five of their seven away league games in 2025, and with a trip to one of the division’s most out of form teams, the Hornets will know that anything less than a win would be a disappointment.
Should Watford earn their fourth win in the span of a month on Saturday, then they could find themselves just one point shy of Coventry and fifth-placed West Brom, but dropping points may see them fall as low as 12th.
Team News
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Oxford’s injury list is short, and the only expected absentees this weekend are forward Max Woltman and defender Stuart Findlay, though centre-back Elliott Moore could miss out after being withdrawn early against Hull.
If Moore is unavailable, Rowett is likely to start with a backline of Hidde ter Avest, Michal Helik, Benjamin Nelson and Ciaron Brown.
As for Watford, goalkeeper Daniel Bachmann remains out with an anterior cruciate ligament injury, while defender Kevin Keben will miss this weekend’s game with a muscle injury.
Elsewhere, forward Kwadwo Baah will be absent with a thigh problem, so expect Edo Kayembe to be supported by Moussa Sissoko, Thomas Ince and Giorgi Chakvetadze on Saturday.
Oxford United possible starting lineup:
Cumming; Avest, Helik, Nelson, Brown; Vaulks, Matos; Mills, Rodrigues, Phillips; Harris
Watford possible starting lineup:
Selvik; Andrews, Pollock, Abankwah, Larouci; Louza, Dele-Bashiru; Sissoko, Ince, Chakvetadze; Kayembe
We say: Oxford United 1-2 Watford
Oxford are at serious risk of relegation with their form, and they are unlikely to rectify the situation this weekend against a team in the hunt for promotion.
That being said, Rowett was particularly angry with his players after last time out, so expect them to put in a stronger performance this time around to make Watford fight for the points.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
