Our prediction for this Championship match:
Sparkles will be flying at Kassam Stadium when Oxford United and Stoke City face each other for the first time since February 2001. The Yellows defeated Preston 3-1 before the international break to put an end to their three-game losing run in all competitions, but they do not want to stop now. The likes of Joseph Bennett and Matt Phillips have joined midfielder Will Goodwin in the recovery room, but there are no suspended players in the home team.
The Potters, on the other hand, did well to beat Plymouth on the road, with Million Manhoef scoring the only goal of the match. Stoke City aim to give fans yet another reason to celebrate this weekend, but beating Oxford United at Kassam Stadium is easier said than done. Therefore, we predict that the two sides are going to share the spoils in Saturday’s encounter. The likes of Ben Pearson, Enda Stevens, Michael Rose, and Sam Gallagher are injured for the visiting team.
Highlighted Player (Jack Bonham):
Jack Bonham is a professional footballer who was born in Stevenage on the 14th of September, 1993. The 26-year-old, although having born in England, is an Irish International and has featured for the Republic of Ireland's Under-17 team five times.
At the club level, he began his youth career with Watford and signed his first professional contract in September 2010 at the age of 17. Bonham's first-ever professional appearance came on the 4th of May, 2013 as a substitute against Leeds United in the final game of the 12/13 Championship season.
This appearance marked the 1.92 m standing goalkeeper's only appearance in a Watford shirt. Bonham then went on to play for clubs like Brentford, Carlisle United and Bristol Rovers before eventually joining Gillingham at the start of the 2019 season on a two-year contract. He's since featured nine times for the club and kept two clean sheets.
Highlighted Team (Oxford United):
Oxford United are one of the oldest clubs in the League One as they were founded back in 1893. However, Oxford United adopted their current name 67 years later and have been playing under it ever since.
Over the years the Yellows have built a great rivalry with Swindon Town and there have always been fireworks in clashes between the two sides. Oxford United play home matches at Kassam Stadium, the venue with the capacity of 12,500. The stadium was built in 1997 and has been Oxford United’s home ground ever since. The Boys from Up the Hill are well known for their yellow and blue colours, but they play their away games in dark blue (with a little yellow) or black kits.
Oxford’s player with the most league appearances is John Shuker, playing 478 games for the club from 1962 to 1977. On the other hand, Jim Magilton is the club’s most capped player in internationals, playing 18 games for Northern Ireland.