Oxford United will play in their first-ever Football League playoff final on Monday when the U’s face Wycombe Wanderers in the League One playoff final at Wembley Stadium.
Oxford United Face Wycombe Wanderers in League One Playoff Final
A Place in the Championship at Stake
The winner will secure a place in the Championship. For Oxford, it has been a rollercoaster 21-years. In 1999, the U’s were relegated from the second tier before suffering another relegation two years later. Then, in 2006, the club suffered a further drop, this time into non-league.
Oxford returned to the Football League in 2010, before securing another promotion in 2016. They could make a return to the second tier 21-years after they last featured.
As for Wycombe, this season’s third-placed finish was their highest ever position, and they could reach the second tier for the first time in the clubs’ history.
The Playoffs and Season Conclusion
Oxford edged past Portsmouth 5-4 on penalties after both games ended 1-1, while the Chairboys eased past Fleetwood Town 6-3 on aggregate.
The U’s were third in the league when the season was suspended, just two points behind Rotherham United, but Wycombe came from eighth to third to move Oxford down one place as a result of the points per game system used to decide the conclusion of the campaign.
Oxford were the division’s in-form team before the season was suspended, winning their last five games in succession. As for Wycombe, they lost three and won three of their last six.
Team News, Previous Meetings and Prediction
The U’s have no new injury concerns ahead of the match. They also received an all-clear in their latest round of coronavirus testing.
Matty Taylor, the U’s top scorer with 17 goals in all competitions, started on the bench for the second leg against Pompey but should be fit enough to start.
Meanwhile, Oxford skipper John Mousinho was part of the Wycombe side that won promotion from League Two 11 years ago.
Left-back Joe Jacobson is the Chairboys’ top scorer with 11, while striker Adebayo Akinfenwa has ten. Fred Onyedinma netted twice in their second leg against the Cod Army, taking his tally to six.
The two sides have only met once this season. James Henry netted the winner in a 1-0 victory at the Kassam Stadium, which saw Akinfenwa dismissed in the first half.
The U’s are unbeaten in their last five meetings between the two sides, winning four. The first win of that run came on the final day of the 2015/16 season as the U’s secured promotion to League One with a 3-0 victory.
Prediction: Oxford United 2-0 Wycombe Wanderers
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