Oxford United have made the perfect start to a busy month but the U’s will look to continue their form when they welcome Newcastle United in the fourth round of the FA Cup.
Match Number Two of Busy Month For Oxford United
Focus Switches to Cup Action
Karl Robinson’s side saw off Blackpool in League One on Saturday – the first game of nine in February – but will be looking to progress to the fifth round of the cup for the first time since 2017.
When these sides met in the FA Cup in January, the U’s dropped out of the playoffs with their promotion rivals talking advantage of their non-fixture.
The 2-1 victory over Blackpool was almost expected and it was the perfect response after failing to win since the turn of the New Year.
But Robinson will have to put the league on the back burner once again with a chance to impress against the Premier League side.
The game ended goalless at St James’ Park, but Oxford gave a good account of themselves and deserved the replay.
Robinson is without Shandon Baptiste and Tariqe Fosu after the duo left on deadline day to join Brentford, but on-loan Middlesbrough winger Marcus Browne scored a brace against the Tangerines.
Can Oxford See off the Magpies?
In a word, yes.
Newcastle have had a decent season this year despite uncertainty at the start of the campaign when Steve Bruce replaced the highly favoured Rafa Benitez.
Relegation shouldn’t be a worry for the Premier League outfit and a cup run would be something to excite the fans, but scoring goals have been a problem this year and they will come up against a stubborn and resilient U’s defence.
If Oxford can play their usual slick, passing style of football, they could see progression to the fifth round but it could be difficult to juggle another demanding cup run alongside a promotion push from League One.
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