Fri 17 Apr - Posted in Breaking News
Time to read: 4mins
Derby County will play Oxford United in their penultimate Pride Park Stadium clash of the 2025/26 Sky Bet Championship season on Saturday afternoon (12.30pm kick-off).
The Rams return to home soil after a narrow defeat to Southampton on the road last time out.
John Eustace’s side will look to carry on their hot home form in DE24; a 2-0 win over Stoke City on Easter Mondaysaw the Rams claim their fifth win in a row at Pride Park.
Meanwhile, opponents Oxford picked up three points with a 2-0 win at the Kassam Stadium against Watford.
Tickets for the Rams' latest home game are still available and can be purchased online, over the phone or in person from the Ticket Office.
The Ticket Office is open from 10am until kick-offon matchday.
Supporters are urged to buy tickets in advance to avoid the matchday price increase.
Find out more ticket details for Saturday's match by clicking here.
Head Coach John Eustace spoke to RamsTV to look forward to the home meeting with the U’s.
Forward Jaydon Banel also caught up with RamsTV ahead of Saturday’s penultimate Pride Park clash.
Saturday will be the second chance for supporters to visit the expanded Fans’ Park, with the Rams working alongside Bustler Market, local street food event specialists, for the last three home games of the Sky Bet Championship 2025/26 season.
Please note: Match Tickets or Season Tickets are required to access the Fans’ Park. Entry will NOT be permitted to non-ticket holders.
Find out more about Bustler At Pride Park by clicking here.
Having fought so hard to win back a place in English football’s second tier, the U’s are reluctant to give it up easily.
Last season, their first in the Championship since the turn of the Millennium, an upturn in results in the second half of the season made sure the spectre of relegation was kept at arm’s length. In 2024/25, it was the arrival of former Rams manager Gary Rowett in December that did the trick.
With Oxford finding themselves back in the relegation zone last December, the club tried the same tactic. Rowett left the club on 20th December, and Matt Bloomfield was appointed in early January.
When the 42-year-old former Colchester United, Wycombe Wanderers and Luton Town boss was appointed, the U’s were sitting 23rd in the table with only points-deducted Sheffield Wednesday below them.
They come into today’s game only one place higher in the league, but their form has taken a more radical upward trajectory.
At Bloomfield’s arrival, the club’s points-per-game ratio sat at 0.88. The 17 league games played under his charge have returned 1.29 points-per-game; over a full season, that form equates to almost 60 points and would have earned a top-half finish last season.
What’s more, in recent weeks – as the season enters its ‘business end’ – Oxford’s form has been even more impressive.
They have lost only one of their last eight Championship games – and that came at red-hot Southampton. Taking 15 points since the end of February puts the U’s in the top six of the form table and matches Derby’s return.
But it gets no easier for them as the season reaches its climax. Of their four games remaining, three are against teams still harbouring promotion aspirations.
After facing the Rams today, they meet Wrexham on Tuesday and sign off the season at Millwall, with a home game against the Owls on the penultimate weekend.
Get your Derby County matchday programme, 'The Ram', on Saturday.
It will be a special bumper 1995/96 edition, featuring an eight-page interview with then Assistant Coach Steve McClaren, plus a fold-out, poster-style back cover to commemorate the occasion.
The Ram is sold around the stadium ahead of the game for £5 or can be ordered for home delivery.
Find out more by clicking here.
Samuel Allison will be the man in the middle on Saturday, officiating his 18th Championship fixture this season.
Allison last held the whistle in a Derby match, during March 2026’s 2-0 home win against Coventry City at Pride Park Stadium.
Across his 24 games in all competitions so far in 2025/26, he has shown a total of 86 yellow cards, given two second yellow dismissals and no straight red cards.
Hristo Karaivanov and Lee Venamore have been named as the Assistant Referees; Robert Massey-Ellis has been appointed as the Fourth Official.
Live audio commentary for all of Derby County’s first team matches in the 2025/26 season - both league and cup fixtures - is available to RamsTV Audio subscribers based both in the UK and internationally.
Information about RamsTV's Video Live Streaming and other services for this game can be found here.
RamsTV's Match highlights will be available on dcfc.co.uk and the Derby County App shortly after the game.
If you're a Derby County supporter attending the fixture at Pride Park Stadium, you can find a wide range of details in our Matchday Hub by clicking here.
If you are a fan of our opposition at Pride Park Stadium, full information on visiting Derby County can be found in our Away Supporters Hub by clicking here.
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