- Derby County have won three of their last five Championship matches, losing two.
- Oxford United have won one, drawn three and lost one of their last five matches.
- Derby County have won nine, drawn six and lost six of their 21 home Championship fixtures.
Big-game pressure on both clubs
There will be big-game nerves on show when Derby County host Oxford United at Pride Park on Saturday with the Rams in the Play-Off mix and Oxford fighting for their lives in the Championship.
Derby sit eighth in the table on 63 points from 42 games and while that is their best position of the season, they are still only just inside the Play-Off positions. Oxford, meanwhile, are 22nd on 44 points and have not yet avoided the drop.
John Eustace has turned Derby around with his structure-first, shape-shifting approach since taking over in February 2025. The Rams have pace and power in abundance, but Eustace’s teams are disciplined in structure, careful in tempo, smart in pressing and rapid on the break.
Bloomfield has improved Oxford United’s style
Matt Bloomfield has not quite transformed Oxford United in his short time at the helm since January 2026, but he has certainly turned them into a very different proposition. The Us have more structure to their play, they press high up the field and have explosive energy on the counter-attack.
The difference in styles should make for an interesting contest with the home side having the upper hand, particularly as Oxford have failed to win any of their last two away fixtures, picking up a draw and a defeat.
Rams have right edge in style clash
Oxford took the spoils 1-0 at home in the last meeting five months ago, but Derby have won only once in the last five Championship meetings between the clubs, with two draws and two defeats. So this should be a tricky fixture for the hosts, although the momentum is definitely with Eustace’s men.
Derby are not as free-scoring as they were a few months ago, but Carlton Morris is a reliable goal threat and they are always dangerous on set pieces and when they can play in transition. Oxford are not prolific road scorers, having scored only 21 times in 21 away fixtures, but they have enough spark to get on the scoresheet.
Derby’s odds of 9/10 to win reflect the fact that they are favourites, which they are, but there is enough value in Both Teams to Score at 83/100 for both clubs to get on the board in this close game. The total goals under 2.5 line comes in at 4/5 with Derby having conceded 25 times in 21 home games, so it will probably be a low-scoring encounter.
