Oxford United vs Sheffield United | Match Preview

Kassam Stadium | Saturday 27 September, 3:00pm

A big afternoon ahead at the Kassam Stadium as the U’s welcome Sheffield United. Oxford arrive off the back of a superb 3-1 victory away to Bristol City, while the Blades make the trip South having lost each of their opening six league games. 

Form Guide - Snapshot

• Oxford United: Five points from their opening six games (W1, D2, L3), with 9 goals scored and 10 conceded across that spell. After being unbeaten in the previous three games against teams in the top six (Coventry, Leicester City, Bristol City), there is much reason for excitement ahead of this weekend's game.
• Sheffield United: W0 L6 in the opening six. With only 1 goal scored and 13 conceded in that time, it's clear the Blades have struggled at both ends of the pitch. Despite this, Sheffield United have had the greater share of possession in five of those six games at an average of 58.0% this season.

The Rivalry - A Quick Head-to-Head check

The two Clubs have met 31 times since the first meeting in 1968, with the U's claiming victory on 10 occasions. Oxford fans will look back fondly on the two Clubs' previous meeting, a 1-0 victory at the Kassam Stadium that sparked Oxford United's push for EFL Championship survival.

Those who have followed Oxford United for many years might remember the mid-late 1980s being a particularly positive period against the Blades, having won three and drawn one from the four games from 1984 to 1990. However, the more recent head-to-head results certainly favour this weekend's visitors, having won five of the previous six meetings. Overall, the head-to-head record is fairly tight, but the U's will be optimistic of making it back-to-back wins against the Blades, given the visitors' current run of form.

The Connections - Worn Both Badges

• Matt Phillips: The Oxford United man spent just a month at Sheffield United, in a loan deal that saw him score six goals in six appearances in 2011. Phillips went on to make 142 Premier League appearances for West Brom before eventually signing for the U's in August 2024.
• Jake Wright: A fan favourite, former captain, and defensive brickhouse, Wright made 278 appearances for Oxford before signing for Sheffield United in 2016. Wright would go on to make 47 appearances for the Blades.
• John Lundstram: The junior England international is largely remembered for his four-year spell at Sheffield United from 2017-2021, which saw him become one of the Premier League's most underrated players at that time. Before this, however, he made 82 appearances in yellow and blue, having signed for the U's in 2015 and being a key part of the team that gained promotion to League One in his first season at the Club.
• Dean Saunders: Capped 75 times by Wales, Saunders had a hugely impressive career playing for the likes of Liverpool, Aston Villa, and Nottingham Forest. Saunders also played for the U's, moving from Brighton in 1986 for a fee in the region of £60,000. Saunders scored 33 goals in 70 appearances for the Club. Towards the end of his career, he signed for the Blades in 1997, scoring 17 goals in 43 appearances.
• George Baldock: A hugely popular figure at the Club, Baldock had two loan spells at the Kassam, and his impressive performances earned the love and admiration of the Oxford United supporters, as well as a spot in the League Two PFA Team of the Year for the 2015/16 season. Just a couple of years later, Baldock signed for Sheffield United, going on to make over 200 appearances for the Blades and becoming one of the Premier League's most exciting full-backs. His performances at the top level earned him his first international call-up for Greece, for whom he would earn 12 caps. George is fondly remembered by both sets of supporters as well as the football community. 

Tactical View — How Sheffield United Play

1) Sheffield United have struggled to both score goals and keep them out so far this season, despite dominating possession across the majority of their matches. The team started the season under the management of Ruben Selles, whose high-energy struggled to produce results. Under Chris Wilder, a man well known to Sheffield United fans, the team's structure is likely to look much different, with a greater focus likely to be placed on controlling the midfield and being more disciplined in defence.

2) Blades striker Tyrese Campbell has scored their only goal of the season so far and is often the main threat in front of goal, whilst creative midfielders Callum O'Hare and Gustavo Hamer will often play a pivotal part in their attack.

3) Despite sitting at the bottom of the table, Sheffield United have a similar xG (1.34) to the likes of Birmingham and Portsmouth, who sit in the top half of the Sky Bet Championship. This shows that they are creating goal-scoring opportunities, sitting above eight other sides in the xG table, but converting those chances is a real issue at present.

4) Sheffield United will look to dominate wide areas and try to overload the flanks. The opportunities for the U's may come in transition should the opponents lose possession high up the pitch and leave themselves exposed in the full-back area.

Sheffield United's Danger Man - Gustavo Hamer

Gustavo Hamer is one of Sheffield United's most important players, bringing a blend of creativity, work-rate, and attacking threat. He's shown consistently positive numbers in terms of goals and assists since signing for Coventry in 2020 and then Sheffield United in 2023, and will likely prove to be a key figure in trying to improve their poor early-season form. 

By the Numbers — Fast Facts

• Kick-off: Saturday 27 September, 3:00pm at the Kassam Stadium.
• Recent form (last four): Oxford W1 D2 L1; Sheffield United W0 D0 L4.
• Possession & tempo: Sheffield United average ~58% possession this season — the league's second-most controlling side.
• Historic classics: Oxford 1–0 Sheffield United (5 April 2025); Oxford 5-1 Sheffield United (20 Oct 1984).
• Top Goal scorers this season: Will Lankshear (3 goals); Tyrese Campbell (1 goal)
• Shared heroes: Matt Phillips, Jake Wright, John Lundstram, George Baldock, Ben Davies, Dean Saunders, Marvin Johnson, Dean Windass

Voices from the Camp: 

Watch Gary Rowett & Greg Leigh's full press conferences below:

Relive the key moments from our victory over Sheffield United in OX4 last season!

Match Information: 

TICKETS 

Don’t miss out – a limited number of tickets remain for our clash with the Blades in OX4.

Check availability and secure your seats here...

RETAIL 

The Club Shop will open at 11:00am on Saturday, so pop in and browse the latest 2025/26 Replica Shirts, Training and Travel Collections, Leisure Wear, and more! 

You can shop online 24/7 HERE…

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MATCH STREAMING

For those wishing to listen to the game, or for those overseas wishing to watch the full 90 minutes, there is a package for you on OUTV.

MATCHDAY GUIDES