Stoke vs Oxford Utd Prediction & Betting Tips (25 February)

Stoke City’s Championship clash with Oxford United at the bet365 Stadium on 25 February 2026 arrives with both sides under pressure to steady their seasons after a difficult start to the year. Stoke come into this one still searching for momentum, while Oxford’s recent run has been bruising, including a 0-3 home defeat to Norwich City on 10 February and an FA Cup exit against Sunderland by 0-1 on 15 February. Those results, added to league setbacks, have left Oxford looking over their shoulder rather than up the table. With the schedule tightening and fixtures coming thick and fast, this meeting feels like a chance for Stoke to reassert themselves at home and for Oxford to prove they can respond to adversity against a side that has historically been awkward for them.

From Stoke’s perspective, the narrative around this fixture is shaped by a frustrating sequence of results rather than outright collapse. Their most recent outing, a 1-0 defeat away to Charlton Athletic on 11 February 2026, underlined a recurring issue: competitive performances that still end without points. Over the season, Stoke have been relatively solid at the bet365 Stadium, combining a balanced goals record with a mid-table points return, but they have not turned enough tight games into wins. That makes this match feel like a potential turning point, especially with the home crowd expecting a more ruthless edge in both boxes after too many narrow losses and draws.

Oxford United arrive with their own story of contrasts. In the past two months they have shown they can upset strong opposition, as seen in the 2-1 away win at Leicester City on 24 January, yet they have also suffered heavy home defeats such as 0-2 against Birmingham City on 31 January and 0-3 to Norwich City on 10 February. A gritty 0-0 draw at Coventry on 7 February hinted at defensive resilience, but consistency has been elusive. Recent team news has not helped either, with players like Goodrham sidelined by a knee problem and Johansson dealing with a shoulder issue around mid-February, adding selection headaches at a time when the fixture list is relentless and every point feels precious.

Head-to-head history subtly tilts this contest toward Stoke, especially remembering their 3-0 win at Oxford in November 2025 and a cagey 0-0 draw at the bet365 Stadium earlier in 2025. With that backdrop, plus Oxford’s recent struggles in both league and cup, it is reasonable to lean toward a home victory by a controlled margin rather than a high-scoring shootout. Our correct-score call is a measured 2-0 Stoke win, reflecting their defensive stability at home and Oxford’s difficulty converting chances on the road. For further context on Stoke’s home pattern you can look back at matches such as the Fulham game via that same 2-0 anchor, while Oxford’s attacking issues are echoed in recent previews like Sunderland and Norwich, linked here as 2-0 and 2-0 respectiv