Preview: Oxford United vs. Plymouth Argyle - prediction, team news, lineups

Two relegation rivals volition look disconnected erstwhile Oxford United invited Plymouth Argyle to the Kassam Stadium for Sunday's Championship clash.

The U's volition beryllium looking to assertion a 2nd consecutive victory, portion the Pilgrims volition effort to extremity a seven-game winless run.

Match preview

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Oxford made the cleanable commencement to beingness nether Gary Rowett, surviving a precocious Cardiff City fightback to assertion a constrictive 3-2 triumph successful their Boxing Day clash.

Mark Harris, Ciaron Brown and Przemyslaw Placheta each recovered the nett to springiness Oxford a commanding three-goal pb astatine the Kassam Stadium, earlier Cardiff's Cian Ashford and Callum Robinson recovered the nett successful the 82nd and 95th infinitesimal respectively.

Despite being fixed a precocious scare, the U's yet did capable to unafraid 3 important points, halting a tally of 3 consecutive defeats arsenic good arsenic ending their seven-game hold for a win.

As a effect of the constrictive victory, Oxford person moved retired of the Championship relegation, leaving them successful 20th place and 2 points supra the bottommost 3 up of Sunday's gathering with Plymouth.

While Rowett whitethorn person started his tenure with a win, helium volition beryllium alert that Oxford request to amended defensively, fixed the information they person conceded 2 goals oregon much successful six of their past 7 matches.

The U's volition present beryllium afloat focused connected their outing of 2024, with the hosts looking to bushed Plymouth for the archetypal clip since signaling a 3-1 triumph successful April 2021.

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Pressure is mounting connected Plymouth brag Wayne Rooney aft his broadside experienced different disappointing outing successful Thursday's distant clash against Coventry City.

The Pilgrims fell to a dense 4-0 decision against Frank Lampard's side, conceding each 4 goals successful a disastrous archetypal fractional astatine the Coventry Building Society Arena

As a effect of that demoralising loss, Coventry person mislaid 5 of their past six matches and are winless successful 7 games since they bushed Blackburn Rovers connected November 5.

Having mustered conscionable 18 points from 22 matches, Rooney's broadside volition present participate the last matchday of 2024 arsenic the Championship basement side, with 2 points separating them from 21st-placed Portsmouth.

Plymouth request to drastically amended astatine the backmost if they are to debar the drop, having fto successful 48 goals successful their 22 league games - 10 much than immoderate different broadside successful the division.

With the Pilgrims debased connected confidence, they whitethorn beryllium capable to gully immoderate inspiration from the information they person won each of their past 4 matches against Oxford, including a 3-1 distant triumph successful their astir caller gathering successful February 2023.

Oxford United Championship form:

Plymouth Argyle Championship form:

Team News

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Oxford stay without the antiaircraft duo of Ben Nelson and Joe Bennett owed to quad and ankle injuries respectively.

Siriki Dembele and Louie Sibley could beryllium fixed much minutes disconnected the seat aft returning from wounded to diagnostic arsenic substitutes against Cardiff.

Rowett whitethorn determine to prime an unchanged starting lineup providing determination are nary caller wounded concerns up of Sunday's location clash.

As for Plymouth, they are expected to beryllium without Ryan Hardie, Michael Obafemi, Morgan Whittaker, Muhamed Tijani, Ibrahim Cissoko and Joe Edwards.

Mustapha Bundu is improbable to beryllium progressive aft helium was forced disconnected successful the archetypal fractional against Coventry City with a hamstring issue.

Callum Wright volition service the archetypal crippled of a three-match suspension pursuing his precocious reddish paper astatine the Coventry Building Society Arena.

Oxford United imaginable starting lineup:
Cumming; Long, Moore, Brown, Leigh; Placheta, Vaulks, Brannagan, Goodrham; Rodrigues; Harris

We say: Oxford United 2-1 Plymouth Argyle

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