Burnley head to the Kassam Stadium this weekend to take on newly promoted Oxford United in their upcoming Championship fixture.
Burnley won 2-1 at home to Portsmouth last time out. It looked like they were about to be held to a frustrating draw at Turf Moor before midfielder Josh Brownhill scored a last-gasp winner.
The Clarets turned to former Fulham and AFC Bournemouth boss Scott Parker over the summer following Vincent Kompany’s exit to Bayern Munich. They are aiming for an immediate promotion back to the Premier League.
The Lancashire outfit slipped out of the top flight earlier this year after finishing in the bottom three along with Sheffield United and Luton Town. They have since adapted well to life back in the second tier though and are looking strong.
As for Oxford United, they gained promotion from League One last term under the guidance of Des Buckingham. They won the play-off final 2-0 at Wembley against Bolton Wanderers.
The U’s have since caught the eye in the league above and are proving to be a tough nut to crack. They are sat in 9th place in the table and are two points off the play-offs.
Here, a handful of our writers make their predictions for the game…
Harry Mail
“It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Oxford United cause some problems for Burnley at the Kassam Stadium.
“The U’s have adapted well to life in the Championship and are carrying momentum. They have already beaten Norwich City, Preston North End and Stoke City on their own patch this season and haven’t lost there.
“However, the Clarets will be the best team they have faced this season in terms of individual quality. Parker’s side are doing well at the moment and are on a roll.
“Although I think this match will be a close one, I can’t see past an away win and can see Burnley getting the job done in the end.”
Prediction: Oxford United 1-2 Burnley
James Ray
“You can’t rule out another big result at home for Oxford United. They’ve exceeded expectations upon their rise to the Championship early on and their form on home turf especially has been impressive.
“That said, I just feel Burnley will have too much quality for them.
“Parker’s squad is a seriously strong one and when pit against the U’s, you can’t help but feel this will end in an away triumph. Oxford can definitely give them some problems and I wouldn’t be shocked if they claim a result, but I will be going for an away win.
“I’ll say this ends 3-1 to the Clarets.”