Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Championship match.
Derby County and Oxford United will face off in the 32nd round of the Championship. As expected, Oxford United have finally suffered their first league defeat under Gary Rowett. It was bound to happen eventually, and given that their opponents were third-placed Burnley, it was hardly a shocking result. Now, they head to Derby County for a much less daunting challenge for their 50-year-old manager.
Derby County
Derby County have made some progress, but only in a modest sense. They finally avoided defeat, but it was still not enough to lift them from the lower reaches of the table. Their draw against Norwich City (1:1) marked their eighth consecutive match without a win. More worryingly for their fans, six of their eight games in 2025 have seen under 2.5 goals, but that is more of a reflection of their struggles – in four of those matches, they failed to score, and they have conceded in every one.
Oxford United
Oxford United's loss to Burnley (0:1) was nothing out of the ordinary against a team of that level. But was it typical of them? So far in 2025, they have played nine matches, with six of them featuring just one or two goals. There was even a goalless draw against Stoke City. This type of low-scoring game has largely worked in their favour – in such matches under Gary Rowett, they have won twice, drawn three times, and lost just once.
Derby County vs Oxford United Prediction
If this match follows a similar low-scoring pattern, Oxford United are well-positioned to take points.
