- Coventry on a seven-match winless run in the Championship
- Oxford are unbeaten in five away games
- Recommended bet: Oxford or draw double chance

Coventry have aspirations of at least a top-six finish again following two exciting seasons, but their campaign began terribly as they were beaten 1-0 by Stoke on the Championship’s opening weekend.

Oxford, in contrast, opened with a stunning 2-0 win over Norwich and will be high on confidence after a solid victory against Peterborough in the League Cup on Tuesday, making Friday’s clash at the Coventry Building Society Arena an intriguing one.

Team news

Key midfielder Ben Sheaf remains out for the Sky Blues, so Victor Torp should continue in midfield alongside Jamie Allen and new boy Jack Rudoni.

Oxford have no injury concerns and after resting some key men in midweek, Des Buckingham looks set to name the same XI that comfortably dispatched Norwich last weekend. 

The stats

Coventry are on a seven-match winless run in the Championship, losing six times in that sequence, while Oxford are unbeaten in five away games, although those results all came in League One.

Both teams to score has been a winning bet in the hosts’ last five home matches, with each of those going over 2.5 goals.

Both sides have found the net in 10 of the U’s last 15 away matches.

These two sides met in the third round of the FA Cup last season, with Coventry routing the U’s 6-2 on that occasion.

Oxford midfielder Cameron Brannagan has scored four goals on his last six starts.

Prediction

Oxford’s win over Norwich last weekend proved a point that they are not in the Championship to just make up numbers and they have an opportunity to lay down another marker on Friday when they take on Coventry, who made the FA Cup semi-finals last term.

The Sky Blues actually beat the U’s 6-2 in the third round of their FA Cup journey, but it is difficult to envisage the U's rolling over quite so easily this time around.

Buckingham’s men outshot the Canaries 13-10 last Saturday while also having more possession than their visitors, who made the Championship play-offs last season.

It will be interesting to see how Oxford fare away from the Kassam Stadium – both wins this term have come at home – but they went unbeaten in their final five away matches of last season and could spring a shock at Coventry.

The Sky Blues’ loss to Stoke on Saturday extended their winless Championship run to seven matches, a sequence which includes six defeats, including home defeats to Hull and QPR and a 3-0 thrashing at relegated Birmingham.

Oxford will give their all against such a big club and led by star midfielder Cameron Brannagan – who has four goals in his last six starts – as well as exciting attackers Mark Harris and Tyler Goodrham, they could have enough quality to leave with at least a point in hand.

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