- Oxford United have not lost at the Kassam Stadium in six previous games in all competitions, winning four and drawing two.
- Stevenage Borough have won two, drawn one and lost two of their last five away matches in all competitions.
- Oxford United beat Stevenage Borough 2-1 in the League One competition two months ago.
A cagey affair likely at the Kassam
Oxford United and Stevenage Borough meet in the opening tie of the 2026-2027 competition on Saturday and with both clubs playing well in League One, a draw or a close home win looks the most likely outcome.
The U's, who are in their third consecutive season in English football's third tier, have found form under Aaron Ramsey's leadership since he took charge as head coach. His team are patient and like to play through the thirds when they have the ball, but are not chaotic as they have the ability to play out of pressure when they lose the ball.
The Boro have been a threat on the road in all competitions, scoring 13 goals in five matches on the away, but they are more solid at home.
U’s have an edge in head-to-head record
The Boro will feel that the 28/25 on offer for Oxford is just a touch on the low side, although still far too high for Stevenage, who are 231/100 to avoid defeat.
The draw is 119/50 and offers a smidgen more value than the home side, but the correct play here will be to go with the U's, who have won two and drawn one of the three previous games against The Boro. Revell's men are solid and have been competitive since he took over on 17 April 2024, but Oxford look a little too good for them on home soil.
Ramsey has The U’s playing in a controlled way
Oxford come into this game on the back of three wins and two draws from their last five in all competitions, which is their best run of the campaign. A 1-0 win at home to Stockport County was followed by a 1-1 draw at Barnsley, which was a deserved result, and a 2-0 home win over Reading, which was fully deserved.
They have allowed two goals in six home games in all competitions so the back four are keeping it tight at the moment while the midfield and forwards seem to be getting some better flow to their game.
Stevenage's last three games have been a 3-0 home win over Plymouth Argyle, a 0-1 defeat at home to MK Dons and a 2-2 away draw against Leicester City. It is a mixed bag of results that does not give us much confidence in backing them at such a long price against a good side.
Boro won’t be easy to break down
A couple of the Oxford games this season have been end-to-end affairs, but with Stevenage in the way, they may not be able to get into their stride on Saturday. Revell's side play forward balls, are a threat from set pieces and have an aggressive press to win the ball back quickly when they don't have it.
But they will also sit compact when they need to and this could be another cagey clash for The U's. Ramsey's side will try to get the ball through Stevenage's pressure and they are not a team to give it away, but they can do a lot of good things with the ball and are better than the Boro in all departments.
So our play will be to take Under 2.5 goals at 19/25 and for the hosts to squeeze out a win on the day.
