- Oxford City have won three, drawn one and lost one of their last five.
- Leicester City have won three, drawn one and lost one of their last five.
Oxford will come to the match to play their game
The National League North side will have their own plans, which they will try to stick to, and they will aim to make it difficult for the Foxes in this game.
The Hoops have won six, drawn two and lost only two of their ten most recent matches in all competitions, a run that has kept them above water, but is clearly not good enough to beat the Premier League side.
Oxford boss Ross Jenkins has done a decent job since he took charge on 27 September 2024, but his side haven't yet adapted their playing style to the level of competition they are facing.
Jenkins has been patient and his team play a possession-based game when possible, looking to find a way through from the wings or set pieces rather than playing the game in a frantic style.
The game is unlikely to be a complete shambles, despite the Foxes' class advantage, but the fact that Oxford have something to play for, and can't afford to go nuts, could lead to a cagey opening.
Foxes can keep it tight enough to win
Leicester are not the biggest side in the world, but they are a structured unit that is well drilled in a possession-first, progressive style of play that can take some time to unlock.
Russell Martin has imprinted his own identity on this squad since taking over as manager on 1 July 2026 and the side can play football at pace, which is not a trait associated with non-league footballers.
The quality of Leicester's pressing game is far in advance of Oxford's and that could help the visitors to keep a tight rein on the match in the opening exchanges.
While we would expect Leicester to be the more dominant, there is little value in backing the visitors at 1/4, so we will take Oxford at 17/2 in the double chance market instead.
The draw at 4/1 is not the worst shout for smaller stakes, but we will stick with Oxford City to make a game of it as the most likely outcome of this game.
Players to watch
Leicester's Emil Riis Jakobsen has been their most clinical finisher of late, scoring three of his team's ten goals in the last five matches.
Luke Thomas has played the role of maestro in the same five games, laying on three assists to his teammates.
Tyrone Marsh has been the main man for the Hoops, scoring three of his side's eight goals in the same number of matches.
