Watford welcome Oxford United to Vicarage Road for a Friday night Championship fixture. The Hornets will be looking to bounce back after a 1-0 defeat at Swansea City earlier this week, while the visitors arrive in Hertfordshire with confidence following their 1-0 home victory over Hull City. Both sides meet for the first time this season in what promises to be an intriguing Championship encounter under the floodlights.
Where to watch Watford FC vs Oxford United online and on TV
The clash between the Hornets and Oxford United will be broadcast live across multiple Sky Sports channels in the UK, including Sky Sports Football, Main Event and Ultra HDR. Sky Sports+ subscribers can also tune in to catch all the action from Vicarage Road.
Preview and predictions for the Watford FC vs Oxford United game
The bookies are backing Watford as favourites in their clash with Oxford United, with the Hornets given a solid 54.56% chance of securing all three points at Vicarage Road. The odds of 1.8 for a home win reflect this sentiment, while the draw is priced at 3.7, representing a 25.07% probability of the spoils being shared. Oxford find themselves as clear underdogs in this one, with bet365 offering generous odds of 4.2 for an away victory. The U's are given just a 20.37% chance of pulling off an upset, suggesting the bookmakers see this as a tough ask for the visitors. The odds paint a picture of a match where Watford should have enough quality to get the job done, though it's far from a foregone conclusion.
Watford FC Recent Results
The Hornets have shown quite a mixed bag of form in their recent Championship outings, particularly catching the eye with a stunning 6-2 thrashing of Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough. However, this impressive attacking display has been somewhat overshadowed by their struggles elsewhere on the road, most recently falling to a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Swansea City. Watford's away form has been rather patchy, with three losses in their last four trips. The Hertfordshire outfit have struggled to find consistency, suffering disappointing defeats to Leeds United (2-1) and a particularly tough 3-0 drubbing in the local derby against Luton Town. While their home form has shown more promise, with narrow 1-0 and 2-1 victories over Blackburn and Middlesbrough respectively, their performances on their travels remain a concern for the Championship side, despite that memorable six-goal haul at Wednesday.
Oxford United Results Comparison
Oxford United's recent away form has shown signs of resilience, though they've struggled to secure outright victories on their travels. The U's managed to nick a point at Fratton Park against Portsmouth with a solid 1-1 draw, but their journey to the Stadium of Light proved rather disappointing as they succumbed to a 2-0 defeat against Sunderland. These results paint a picture of a side that's finding it challenging to convert draws into wins away from the Kassam Stadium. Looking at their overall away performances, Oxford have shown decent defensive organisation, typically keeping matches tight and competitive. However, their attacking prowess on the road has been somewhat lacking, with the team managing to find the back of the net just once in their last two away fixtures. The U's have demonstrated they can be a tough nut to crack, as evidenced by their draw at Portsmouth, but they'll need to show more cutting edge up front if they're to improve their away record in the Championship.
Team comparison: Watford FC vs Oxford United
The head-to-head history between Oxford United and Watford is rather limited, with just a single competitive encounter between these sides. That memorable clash came in the EFL Cup back in September 2020, where the Hornets demonstrated their superiority with a convincing 4-1 victory at the Kassam Stadium. The sole meeting between these clubs tells us little about any established pattern, though Watford's commanding away performance showed the gulf in class between the sides at the time. The U's struggled to contain their Championship opponents, with the visitors proving too strong on the day. This remains the only benchmark for comparison between these teams, with Watford holding a perfect record in this fixture, albeit from just one match.
League Positions for Watford FC vs Oxford United
Watford and Oxford United find themselves in contrasting positions in the league table, with the Hornets sitting in 6th place while the U's are languishing in 16th. The gap of ten places between the two sides reflects their different fortunes this season, with Watford pushing for a play-off spot in the top half while Oxford are looking over their shoulders in the bottom half of the table.
