- Form: The U's are unbeaten in their last 5 matches (W2, D3) after Saturday's 1-0 home win over Stockport County.
- Road form: The Boro have split their last 5 on the road (W2, D1, L2) with a 0-1 home loss to Milton Keynes Dons followed by a 2-2 away draw at Leicester City.
- Head-to-head: Oxford United have the better recent record against Stevenage Borough (W2, D1) with the last meeting ending in a 2-1 away win in League One in 2026/2027.
Cagey cup affair likely in Oxfordshire
Form and context
Stevenage Borough have won six of their last ten games in all competitions, drawing one and losing three. The Boro are also no doubt a better side on paper than the U's, but that doesn't always translate to results on the pitch and it might not be enough for Alex Revell's men to get through to the FA Cup third round.
Tactical outlook
Oxford boss Aaron Ramsey has the squad playing a more possession-based style while Revell has the Boro set up to be a little more physical and aggressive out of possession – two styles that rarely work well when they clash. The game looks like being a cagey cup game with the U's slightly more likely to get the better of the encounter because of home advantage and their superior recent record against the Boro.
The Boro can be bold on the break
So it might be better to lean towards a cagey encounter at Kassam Stadium where the home side is good enough to maintain their resistance and secure a passage through to the third round.
- U's are averaging 1.40 goals per game at home in their current all-competitions sample while The Boro are averaging 2.60 scored and 1.40 conceded when on the road.
- Stevenage are more likely to be involved in open, end-to-end games, and they have conceded fewer goals than they have scored away from home.
- Under 2.5 goals at 1.69 seems a good fit for this game with both teams to score either way at 1.86.
Oxford have a good record against The Boro
Oxford boss Ramsey has used his 4-2-3-1 system to good effect of late, using the width and the number 10 channels to build attacks without really over-committing the team in the press. And his men are a tough nut to crack at home at the moment with no defeats in their last five at the Kassam.
Stevenage have been a little less consistent on the road this season with two wins, one draw and two losses in their last five. Oxford are the favorites here at 2.12 with Stevenage 3.32 and the draw 3.3. Although the U's have the superior record against The Boro, there is not enough difference in their recent form to fully back them here.
Siriki Dembele has been the chief creator for the hosts with three assists in their four goals across the last five games so it makes sense to take Oxford United to edge this one 1-0.
