Oxford vs Swansea predictions: Swans can increase pressure on managerless U's
Managerless Oxford are 21st in the Championship, winning only five times this
season
Swansea won December's reverse game 2-0 and are 20th in the standings, four points better off
Recommended bet: Swansea to win
Managerless Oxford pulled off a surprise by beating Southampton 2-1 on Boxing Day and will aim to follow up against Swansea on Monday.
A run of one win in 10 saw the U's sack head coach Gary Rowett on December 23, but his former side showed real spirit as Stan Mills scored after 89 minutes to secure victory over the Saints in interim boss Craig Short's first game in charge.
Swansea lost 1-0 at Championship leaders Coventry on Friday, but had won three out of four before that, including a 2-0 victory over Oxford on December 6.
Victor Matos has overseen an improvement since being appointed in November and Monday's match looks an excellent chance for the Portuguese to record a first away win in charge.
The latest Oxford vs Swansea odds are available on LiveScore Bet
Team News
Oxford are without Hidde ter Avest, who has missed the last two games with a hamstring injury, while this fixture is also expected to come too soon for captain Cameron Brannagan (calf) and veteran Matt Phillips (thigh).
Swansea are without Manuel Benson due to his involvement in Angola's AFCON campaign.
Striker Zan Vipotnik has scored in two of his City's last three outings and is again expected to lead the line.
The stats
Oxford have only won five times this season, with the win over Southampton their third home victory of the campaign.
Swansea have won three of their last five games, a run that started with a 2-0 victory in the reverse fixture.
That result means Oxford are winless in their last six league matches against the Welsh side.
The Swans' Slovenian striker Vipotnik has scored in two of his team's last three fixtures, taking his season's tally to 12 for club and country.
The latest Oxford vs Swansea odds are available on LiveScore Bet
Prediction
December's 2-0 win over Oxford was Matos' first since coming in the previous month and came at the third attempt.
The Portuguese has since overseen further home victories over Portsmouth and Wrexham, either side of defeats at Stoke and Coventry.
He will now be looking to improve his team's away form, with the Swans winning only twice in 11 road fixtures this term.
The Kassam Stadium could be the place, as despite the victory over Southampton, the U's have still only won three times there.
Admittedly, two of those have come in their last three games but the numbers suggest they were fortunate in the win over the Saints, having had only 29.6 per cent possession.
Swansea may also be more clinical and in striker Vipotnik, have a classic bustling forward, always running hard and rarely giving opposition defenders the chance to settle.
Crucially, the Slovene has added goals to his game this season, reaching 12 for club and country, including in the 2-1 defeat at Stoke on December 13 and 2-1 home Welsh derby win over Wrexham six days later.
Against an Oxford defence that has not kept a clean sheet since October 18, Vipotnik could get chances and is 5/2 in the anytime market.
It is hard to see what Short will have worked on to try and thwart the 23-year-old and recent reports suggest the U's are finding it challenging to find Rowett's permanent replacement.
Meanwhile, Matos, whose side are four points clear of the relegation places, are clicking into gear, only losing 1-0 at runaway leaders Coventry on Friday and could respond with a victory at the Kassam Stadium.
