Swansea City vs Oxford United | Match Preview

Swansea.com Stadium 
Saturday 6 December, 3:00pm

Gary Rowett's men travel to South Wales following last weekend's impressive victory over promotion hopefuls Ipswich Town. They will take on a Swansea City side without a point in their previous five fixtures.

Parking

If you are attending the game and in search of some parking options, Swansea City have recommended that you follow the link HERE to book a space.

Form Guide - Snapshot

• Oxford United: W1 D2 L2 from the previous five games. Last week saw the Yellows secure two draws and a win in the space of six days, and confidence will be flowing following Przemysław Płacheta's late winning goal against Ipswich Town last time out.
• Swansea City: W0 D0 L5 in their last five. The Swans come into this game in a very poor recent run of form, made worse by the loss of a two-goal lead away to West Brom last weekend. Back in front of their own fans, the Welsh outfit will be determined to secure the three points that would lift them above the U's in the table.

The Rivalry - A Quick Head-to-Head Check

Historically, Oxford United have enjoyed the upper hand in this fixture. Since 1966, the two sides have met 30 times, with the U’s claiming 11 wins and nine draws — giving them a slightly stronger record overall.

However, Oxford’s last victory in the matchup came back in 2016 in the FA Cup, when a Kemar Roofe brace and a Liam Sercombe strike sealed a 3–2 win at the Kassam Stadium.

Last season’s meeting was another memorable encounter, producing a six-goal thriller. On the final day of the Sky Bet Championship campaign, Placheta’s dramatic 93rd-minute equaliser ensured the U’s walked away with a 3–3 draw.

The Connections - Worn Both Badges

• Joey Beauchamp: An Oxford United legend, Joey Beauchamp made 428 appearances across two spells with the club, scoring 79 goals. He also had a short loan spell at Swansea City in 1991, where he impressed with two goals in just five appearances. Following his passing in 2022, the Joey Beauchamp Foundation was established to raise awareness of suicide prevention. Everyone connected with Oxford United remembers him fondly and remains proud to support the Foundation in his honour.
• Nick Cusack: Nick Cusack enjoyed influential spells with both Oxford United and Swansea City during his playing career, earning a reputation as a hardworking and reliable midfielder. After joining Oxford in the late 1980s, he quickly became a regular presence in the side, valued for his composure on the ball and tireless work rate. He made 73 appearances, scoring 13 goals. Cusack later moved to Swansea City in 1997, where his leadership and consistency made him an important figure in midfield and a favourite among supporters. He played over 200 games for the Swans.
• Andy Melville: Born in Swansea and capped 65 times for Wales, Andy Melville made 175 appearances for his boyhood Club between 1986 and 1990. He joined Oxford United in July 1990 for a fee of £275,000 and quickly became a fan favourite, admired for his passionate, commanding presence at the heart of defence. Melville went on to make 159 appearances for the U’s, scoring 15 goals, before moving to Sunderland. He later returned to Oxford in 2009 for a brief spell as a first-team coach while working toward his coaching badges.

Opposition Focus: A Deep Dive into Swansea City

1) This is Swansea City's eight consecutive season in the Sky Bet Championship, and as a Club they will certainly have ambitions to be challenging towards the higher end of the table. This season has been a turbulent one for the Swans so far, following the sacking of Head Coach Alan Sheehan in November. Two weeks on from his sacking, Swansea City hired Vitor Matos as Head Coach on a four-year contract.

2) Under Sheehan, Swansea prioritised defensive solidity, organisation, work rate, and resilience. His pragmatic approach meant the team were rarely focused on producing expansive or free-flowing football. Under Matos, however, the expectation is for a shift towards a far more fluid, possession-driven style—one that echoes the most celebrated eras of Swansea’s footballing identity.

3) Swansea's biggest problem this season has come in the attacking third, scoring only 18 goals from the opening 18 games and being heavily reliant on Zan Vipotnik. The Swans have the lowest xG in the division, demonstrating their lack of chance creativity in front of goal.

4) Swansea maintain an average possession of 54.7%, the sixth highest in the division. This shows that despite being comfortable in possession, they do not do enough with the ball in order to create scoring opportunities.

Zan Vipotnik: Swansea's Goal Machine

The young Slovenian international striker has been on fire in front of goal for Swansea City this season, bagging nine goals in 20 appearances across all competitions. 

Of those nine goals, seven of them have come at the Swansea.com Stadium, and the 6ft 1" 23-year-old forward will be confident that he can help to guide his side in the right direction against an Oxford United defence with just two clean sheets this season.

By the Numbers — Fast Facts

• Kick-off: Saturday 6 December, 3:00pm at Swansea.com Stadium.
• Recent form (last five): Oxford W1 D2 L2; Swansea City: W0 D0 L5.
• Goals: Oxford have scored 20 goals this season, Swansea have scored 18.
• Historic classics: Swansea 3-3 Oxford (3 May 2025); Oxford 3-2 Swansea (10 January 2016); Oxford 3-0 Swansea (25 August 2003)
• Top Goal scorers this season: Will Lankshear (5 goals); Zan Vipotnik (7 goals).

Voices from the Camp: 

Watch Gary Rowett and Przemyslaw Placheta's  Press Conferences below:

RETAIL

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MATCHDAY GUIDES

• Matchday Guide HERE

MATCHDAY STREAMING

Relive the key moments from our big win over Ipswich Town!