Match Pack: Oxford vs Saints
It's time for festive football as Saints head to Oxford for a Boxing Day battle in the Sky Bet Championship. Get clued up ahead of kick off with our Match Pack...
THE MATCH
Oxford United vs Southampton
Sky Bet Championship
Kassam Stadium
Friday 26th December, 3pm GMT
THE OFFICIALS
Referee:Assistants: Fourth official:
THE KITS
For a seventh match in a row, Saints will be in their traditional red and white stripes for the trip to Oxfordshire. The hosts will be in their home colours consisting of yellow shirts, blue shorts and yellow socks.
TICKETS
Tonda Eckert's side will be backed by a sold out away end, with 1,450 Saints fans heading to the Kassam Stadium.
LIVE COVERAGE
For those not with us at Oxford, the game is being shown live to UK subscription holders on Sky Sports+.
Elsewhere, fans worldwide can catch the action via our in-house service Saints Play:
WHAT’S AT STAKE?
The second of four matches in the space of 12 days across the festive period, Tonda Eckert will be keen for his side to pick up a first win in three and head towards 2026 with momentum.
Now five unbeaten at St Mary's after last weekend's draw with league leaders Coventry last weekend, Saints will want to address their away form that has seen them lose their last two outings at Norwich and Millwall.
Victory at the Kassam Stadium would put Eckert's side back within touching distance of the play-offs, while the hosts are four games without a win and could leapfrog Portsmouth and escape the relegation zone with a win of their own, having parted company with manager Gary Rowett on Tuesday.
TEAM NEWS
Oxford United: The U's should have the same group to pick from, with Brodie Spencer and Ole Romeny the longer-term absentees.
Saints: Tonda Eckert provided a largely positive update on his squad's fitness, revealing Ross Stewart is back in training having been out since the start of October.
On a similarly positive note, Elias Jelert could be available for the Boxing Day clash, which could be a timely boost with Tom Fellows's return from a groin injury still needing to be managed.
Midfielder Shea Charles is set for a second scan on a hamstring injury having suffered a setback, while Mads Roerslev is still unavailable.
THE MANAGERS
Craig Short: "Now we are in a dogfight and we know that. I said to the lads after the Leeds United game, and that dressing room, they were on the floor, I said 'you're in a dogfight. a new manager is going to come in' and fortunately Gary [Rowett] came in and lifted them and they did react.
"And that's exactly what we want now and it doesn't matter who we're playing, because we've gone and shown it against Ipswich and Sheffield United at the end of last season, we can match them on our day and we all have to be asked it. Not just four, five or six players, all of them have to be at it.
Tonda Eckert: "In the end, the idea of a football team starts with the players, and that’s the same for us. We start with the players first and then try to bring them into situations where they feel comfortable. Maybe that’s the same thing we need to do for Oxford when we prepare for them, maybe do a little less structure now and start a little bit more with the players they might potentially have on the pitch.
"It's not first time he’s taken over as interim so there are some references from the last years as to what he’s done, and we will be very prepared for what the interim manager has done in the last spell since he took over and we will know how the players look like and will be ready to go."
ONES TO WATCH
Brian De Keersmaecker: A summer signing, the Dutchman has been a standout performer in a difficult season so far for the U's.
Providing more assists than any other Oxford player (four), De Keersmaecker has been virtually an ever-present, completing the full 90 minutes on 18 occasions so far in the Championship.
Adam Armstrong: The striker remains Saints' man in form, with five goals and an assist from his last five outings to take him to the top of the Championship's scoring chart with 11.
Setting up Nathan Wood's equaliser against Coventry at the weekend, Armstrong has found real rhythm under Tonda Eckert and will want to get back on the scoresheet after missing a penalty at Norwich last time out on the road.
TOP PERFORMERS
Oxford United
Goals:
Lankshear 5
Brannagan 4
PÅ‚acheta 3
Assists:
De Keersmaecker 4
Helik 2
Nine players 1
Saints
Goals:
Armstrong 11
Azaz 6
Manning 4
Assists:
Armstrong 4
Manning, Azaz, Fellows 3
Harwood-Bellis, Fraser, Scienza 2
FORM GUIDE
Oxford United
Charlton (a) SBC: L 0-1
Preston (h) SBC: L 1-2 (De Keersmaecker)
Blackburn (a) SBC: D 1-1 (Brown)
Swansea (a) SBC: L 0-2
Ipswich (h) SBC: W 2-1 (Harris, PÅ‚acheta)
Saints
Coventry (h) SBC: D 1-1 (Wood)
Norwich (a) SBC: L 1-2 (Manning)
West Brom (h) SBC: W 3-2 (Scienza, Armstrong 2)
Birmingham (h) SBC: W 3-1 (Azaz, Armstrong 2)
Millwall (a) SBC: L 2-3 (Armstrong pen, Azaz)
HEAD TO HEAD
Played: 15
Oxford wins: 2
Draws: 4
Saints wins: 9
LAST FIVE MEETINGS
Dec 1996: Saints 3-2 Oxford League Cup (Dryden, Østenstad, Berkovic)
Nov 1996: Saints 1-1 Oxford League Cup (Dryden)
Jan 1990: Saints 1-0 Oxford FA Cup (Ruddock)
Apr 1988: Oxford 0-0 Saints Division One
Nov 1987: Saints 3-0 Oxford Division One (Cockerill, Ro Wallace 2)
KEEP UP TO DATE
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