Sports Mole previews Wednesday’s Championship clash between Hull City and Oxford United, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Just two points separate Hull City and Oxford United ahead of Wednesday’s Championship clash at the MKM Stadium.
The Tigers have lost just one of their previous five matches, while the U’s have failed to win any of their last eight games.
Match preview
© Imago
Hull are sitting in 19th place and five points above the drop zone after winning nine, drawing 10 and losing 17 of their 36 league matches this season.
The Tigers have proven to be a tough team to beat in recent times, having won two, drawn two and lost just one of their previous five Championship outings.
They took a point from Saturday’s away clash against Bristol City despite playing the majority of the contest with 10 men, after Joao Pedro was shown a straight red card 96 seconds after he scored a 13th-minute opener.
Bristol City’s Anis Mehmeti levelled from the spot in the 54th minute, but Hull managed to stand firm for the remainder of the contest to pick up a useful point in their quest to extend their four-season stay in the second tier.
After playing out a draw at Ashton Gate, Hull will now return to the familiar surroundings of the MKM Stadium, with the hosts looking to claim back-to-back league home wins for the first time since November 2023 after beating Plymouth Argyle 2-0 in their previous home outing.
The Tigers have a strong record in home games against the U’s, having won five and drawn three of their previous eight head-to-head home matches since losing 2-1 in April 1989.
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Oxford are two points better off than Hull in 18th position after winning nine, drawing 10 and losing 15 of their 36 Championship matches.
As a result, the U’s have established a seven-point buffer to the drop zone in their quest to avoid relegation in their first season in the second tier since 1999-2000.
Gary Rowett‘s side showcased their fighting qualities to hold Norwich City to a 1-1 draw in Friday’s away clash after Mark Harris netted an 18th-minute equaliser to cancel out Josh Sargent‘s early opener.
While they would have been pleased with the point, Oxford have now gone eight matches without a win since they recorded a 3-2 home victory over Luton Town on January 21.
The U’s also have the joint-fourth worst away record in the division, having won one, drawn seven and lost 10 of their 18 Championship road trips, partly due to the fact that they have mustered just 11 league goals on their travels this season.
They will be desperate to find their shooting boots for Wednesday’s match, especially as they have the chance to complete their first league double over Hull in 36 years after claiming a 1-0 win in November’s reverse fixture.
Hull City Championship form:
Oxford United Championship form:
Team News
© Imago
Hull boss Ruben Selles has confirmed midfielder Eliot Matazo has undergone successful surgery after he suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury in last month’s defeat to Cardiff City.
The Tigers will be without the January signing for the rest of the season, while they are also unable to call upon Mohamed Belloumi, Louie Barry, Liam Millar and Dogukan Sinik.
As it stands, Pedro will serve the first game of a three-match suspension, although Selles has revealed that the club have submitted an appeal in a bid to overturn the red card.
Meanwhile, Oxford will travel to Yorkshire without the injured trio of Greg Leigh, Joe Bennett and Tom Bradshaw.
Leicester City loanee Ben Nelson returned to team training last week, although the defender is not expected to be ready to feature in Wednesday’s contest.
Rowett could be tempted to stick with a 3-5-2 formation after he moved away from his usual 4-2-3-1 set-up for Friday’s hard-fought draw against Norwich, although he could be tempted to bring Matt Phillips and Ruben Rodrigues into the side after the pair came off the bench just after the hour mark at Carrow Road.
Hull City possible starting lineup:
Pandur; Coyle, Jones, Hughes, McLoughlin; Puerta, Alzate; Kamara, Crooks, Gelhardt; Joseph
Oxford United possible starting lineup:
Cumming; Helik, Moore, Brown; Ter Avest, Matos, Vaulks, Brannagan, Phillips; Rodrigues, Harris
We say: Hull City 1-1 Oxford United
Hull may have beaten Plymouth in their most recent outing at MKM Stadium, but that victory represented just their second win in 14 home league games, which is why we believe that they may struggle to clinch all three points in Wednesday’s fixture.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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