Preview: Preston North End vs. Oxford United - prediction, team news, lineups

Preston North End are acceptable to invited Oxford United connected Saturday to Deepdale successful their 26th Championship crippled of the season.

The hosts are 2 points and 3 places up of the visitors successful 15th with 29 points and lost 3-1 against West Bromwich Albion connected Wednesday, portion Oxford bushed Millwall 1-0 connected January 1 and are 5 points and 4 places supra the relegation zone.

Match preview

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Preston were losing 3-0 by the half-time interval against West Brom, and portion they lone faced 1 changeable connected people successful the 2nd half, the crippled was already decided.

Manager Paul Heckingbottom said that helium felt the victors hardly had to enactment for their goals, telling reporters: "The goals we conceded were shocking and that's what gave the crippled away. We gave them 3 goals. The 3 goals were terrible. They punished america and defended amended than us."

In the reverse fixture, Heckingbottom's broadside were beaten 3-1 by Oxford connected August 31 contempt having taken a 1-0 pb successful the opening 3 minutes.

The Lilywhites person been hard to bushed successful the past weeks, with the nine winning three, drafting 5 and losing conscionable 2 of their past 8 games.

Preston are unbeaten successful their six astir caller location fixtures – achieving triumph doubly – and person scored 7 goals and conceded 4 times successful that period.

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Meanwhile, Oxford restricted Millwall to conscionable 1 large accidental and 0.86 xG, winning acknowledgment to Ruben Rodrigues's 57th-minute goal.

Boss Gary Rowett praised his side's antiaircraft solidity successful the aftermath of the win, saying: "It was truly gutsy and that was the pleasing thing, peculiarly this season, the squad haven't won distant from home. Sometimes you person to amusement antithetic sides to your crippled successful the Championship."

Rowett has lone been successful complaint for 3 games – winning each 3 – and his broadside person scored 27 goals and conceded 39 times successful the Championship this term, records that marque them the division's associated seventh worst violative and associated 4th worst antiaircraft team.

To their credit, the U's 3 victories successful their past 3 matches was arsenic galore arsenic they had achieved successful their anterior 18 games, with the nine losing 8 of those fixtures.

As Rowett alluded to, Oxford's triumph against Millwall was the team's archetypal distant from location this campaign, and their wide grounds connected the roadworthy is alarming considering they person mislaid 9 of their 12 distant outings successful 2024-25.

Preston North End Championship form:

Oxford United Championship form:

Team News

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Preston person a comparatively steadfast squad, though they volition beryllium without wing-back Brad Potts until the mediate of February, arsenic good arsenic winger Robbie Brady until aboriginal adjacent month.

Jordan Storey, Jack Whatmough and Liam Lindsay are apt to signifier a backmost three, with Josh Bowler and Kaine Kesler-Hayden candidates to flank the trio successful defence.

Stefan Teitur Thordarson and Alistair McCann could diagnostic successful a treble pivot down a guardant enactment consisting of Mads Frokjaer-Jensen, Emil Riis Jacobsen and Sam Greenwood.

As for Oxford, they volition not beryllium capable to prime centre-back Ben Nelson oregon left-back Joseph Bennett, truthful expect Sam Long, Elliott Moore, Ciaron Brown and Greg Leigh to look successful defence.

In midfield, Rowett whitethorn commencement Will Vaulks and Cameron Brannagan unneurotic fixed the brace played starring roles against Millwall.

Winger Max Woltman has been ruled retired until precocious January, and this could mean that Przemyslaw Placheta, Ruben Rodrigues and Tyler Goodrham commencement down striker Mark Harris.

Preston North End imaginable starting lineup:
Woodman; Storey, Whatmough, Lindsay; Bowler, McCann, Thordarson, Kesler-Hayden; Frokjaer-Jensen, Jacobsen, Greenwood

We say: Preston North End 2-2 Oxford United

It is hard to place Oxford's bully signifier of precocious nether Rowett, and the should arguably travel into Saturday's clash arsenic favourites.

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