Oxford United vs Norwich City | Match Preview

Kassam Stadium
Tuesday 10 February, 7:45pm

After a battling display and a hard-fought point away at league leaders Coventry City on Saturday, the challenge for Oxford United is once again to build on a positive performance. This time, they face an in-form Norwich City side.

Football Special Buses

The OX1 now departs earlier for all stops between Wantage and Abingdon for all matches starting for Tuesday's game against Norwich City. Click HERE to head to the Bus Company website and enter the date of the match to bring up the appropriate timetable.

Alternatively, click HERE for information on all Football Special Buses (OX1-OX8). Again, enter the date of the match to bring up the appropriate timetable.

Football Special buses will also be operating for the FA Cup match against Sunderland on Sunday.

Form Guide - Snapshot (League form)

• Oxford United: W1 D2 L2 from the previous five games. With three clean sheets in six games under the new Head Coach, there is no doubt that Oxford United’s defensive solidity has improved. The next challenge is to marry those gains at the back with greater attacking output to turn performances into more frequent victories.
• Norwich City: W4 D0 L1 in their last five. The Canaries arrive in OX4 in excellent form, having taken 12 points from a possible 15 in their last five matches to pull clear of the relegation picture, at least for now.

The Rivalry - A Quick Head-to-Head Check

Oxford United are unbeaten in their last three meetings with Norwich City, following consecutive 1–1 draws at Carrow Road and a 2–0 victory at the Kassam Stadium in August 2024.

The most recent encounter came in Norwich boss Philippe Clement’s first match in charge and appeared set to deliver him a debut win, only for Filip Krastev to strike with the final kick of the game and earn a point for the U’s.

Overall, the sides have met 27 times since their first clash in 1954, with United recording a win or draw on 15 occasions.

The Key Battles: Where This Game Could Be Won And Lost

• The Yellows' Improved Defensive Work: Keeping a clean sheet against the league leaders will have given Oxford United’s backline a huge confidence boost heading into Tuesday’s game. Despite Coventry registering 24 shots, only five were on target, highlighting how effectively the U’s limited genuine goalscoring opportunities. Norwich have been in fine scoring form in recent weeks, so Jamie Cumming and his defensive colleagues will need to be at their very best if they are to shut out the opposition for a second consecutive match.
• Playing With Width: Przemysław Płacheta has recently returned to action and has looked lively since rejoining the side. The key to breaking down Norwich could well lie out wide, with the pace and trickery of Płacheta, Mills, Emakhu and Peart-Harris all capable of testing the opposition full-backs and creating chances in the channels.

Team News From Both Camps

Will Lankshear will miss Tuesday night’s match after receiving a red card against Coventry City on Saturday, earning a one-game suspension. Jack Currie, meanwhile, could return to contention following his recent injury issues. Jamie Donley has also returned to full training and could be in with a chance of being in the matchday squad by the end of the week.

Aidomo Emakhu made his debut for the U’s at the weekend and will be eager to retain his place in the side as he looks to make his home debut at the Kassam Stadium.

Unavailable: Brian De Keersmaecker, Tyler Goodrham, Nik Prelec, Hidde ter Avest, Greg Leigh

For the visitors, the primary concern is the fitness of top scorer Jovon Makama. He was forced off early in the second half of Saturday’s win over Blackburn Rovers and, with the quick turnaround, is thought unlikely to be available for this fixture.

Elsewhere, January signing Harry Amass remains sidelined through injury, alongside Shane Duffy, Jeffrey Schlupp and Matej Jurasek, while Josh Sargent also continues his recovery.

Unavailable: Harry Amass, Ante Crnac, Shane Duffy, Amankwah Forson, Gabriel Forsyth, Matej Jurasek, Pelle Mattsson, Mirko Topic.

The Canaries Flying High Under Philippe Clement 

1) When Philippe Clement was appointed to take over the reigns from Liam Manning in November, Norwich City were sat in 23rd place in the Sky Bet Championship with just nine points from 15 games. Fast forward to the present day, and the club sit in 17th and four points clear of the bottom three. 

2) The form of 22-year-old forward Jovon Makama has been central to Norwich City’s recent upturn in results. Philippe Clement’s more attacking approach has created a greater volume of goalscoring opportunities, with the former Lincoln City man now boasting ten goals for the season. After scoring just 15 goals in their first 15 league matches, Norwich have since surged to 39 goals in 31 games overall, a marked increase in their goals-per-game return.

3) Among the Championship’s 24 sides, Norwich City rank 18th for fouls committed, underlining the discipline instilled by Clement. That control is also reflected in their defensive record at set pieces: the Canaries have conceded just four goals from such situations all season. The statistics suggest they rarely concede free-kicks in dangerous areas and, when they do, are well organised and effective at defending them.

Christ Makosso: Oxford United's New Star

Christ Makosso is quickly emerging as a key figure in Oxford United’s back line, offering a blend of athleticism, composure and defensive intelligence. Strong in one-on-one situations and dominant in the air, the centre-back reads the game well and is effective at stepping out to break up play before danger develops. 

Makosso is also comfortable in possession, as shown at Coventry City on Saturday with his driving runs out from the back. He is contributing nicely to United's build-up play, showing the confidence to play through the lines rather than simply clear his lines. His physical presence and calm decision-making have added both solidity and balance to the U’s defensive unit.

By the Numbers — Fast Facts

• Kick-off: Tuesday 10 February, 7:45pm at Kassam Stadium .
• Recent form (last five): Oxford United W1 D2 L2; Norwich City : W4 D0 L1.
• Goals: Oxford United have scored 28 goals this season, Norwich City have scored 39.
• Fun Fact: The last three meetings have seen two goals scored in the game.
• Historic classics: Oxford United 2-0 Norwich City (10 August 2024); Norwich City 1-3 Oxford United (29 November 1998); Norwich City 2-3 Oxford United (3 September 1996)
• Played for both teams (Years at Oxford United): Ashley Barnes (2007); Wayne Biggins (1995); Nigel Cassidy (1970-1974); Hugh Curran (1972-1974); James Henry (2017-2024); Oli Johnson (2012); Josh Murphy (2022-2024); Przemysław Płacheta (2024-present)
• Top Goal scorers this season: Will Lankshear (6 goals); Jovon Makama  (10 goals).

Voices From The Camp:

Watch the Press Conferences of Matt Bloomfield and Aimodo Emakhu Below:

RETAIL

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COMING UP

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February promises plenty of action for Oxford United, beginning with Tuesday night’s clash against Norwich and an FA Cup thriller against Sunderland on Sunday. The men’s team will round off the month by hosting West Bromwich Albion on Saturday, 28 February.

Excitement isn’t limited to the first team, with cup fixtures also on the horizon for the under-18s and women’s side. The youngsters welcome Manchester United in the FA Youth Cup, while the women face Charlton Athletic in the Adobe Women’s FA Cup.

Tickets for all of these matches are available:

• By clicking HERE
• By calling 01865 337 533
• By visiting the Ticket Office in person

MATCHDAY GUIDES

MATCHDAY STREAMING

Watch the highlights from last weekend's hard-fought draw away at Coventry City!