Two divisions apart in 2025/26, near neighbours Oxford United and MK Dons are reunited once more, this time at the start of the new League One campaign.
Oxford have changed manager since relegation from the Championship with former Wales and Arsenal skipper Aaron Ramsey now in charge at the Kassam Stadium.
The Dons, meanwhile, are back in League One under Paul Warne, who led them to second place in League Two in May.
Both clubs have started this season with defeats, the U's going down 2-0 at Leyton Orient in the EFL Cup and the Dons crumbling 4-1 at Norwich City in the same competition.
But this is where the serious stuff starts and it promises to be a tight affair between two sides who couldn't be separated when they met in the FA Cup in January, a tie Oxford, then under the caretaker stewardship of Craig Short, won on penalties.
Oxford United v MK Dons Tips Summary
Best Bet - Draw or MK Dons - Double Chance @ 4/6
Alternative Bet - Nathaniel Mendez-Laing anytime scorer @ 10/3
Bet Builder - MK Dons to win either half, Under 10 corners & Goals range 2-4 @ 9/2
Oxford United v MK Dons Prediction
Best Bet: Draw or MK Dons - Double Chance @ 4/6
Continuity is the watchword at the Kassam Stadium this season, but that isn't doing new boss Ramsey many favours and may play into the Dons' hands.
A transfer embargo means the U's team that starts this season is pretty much the same one which ended last season and we know that ended badly with the club dropping out of the Championship.
Dons manager Warne, in contrast, has managed to make some solid purchases after winning promotion from League Two, with Dan Barlaser, Ryan Wintle, Sam Nombe and Sam Silvera all offering something different.
Both clubs fell at the first in the EFL Cup and neither looked particularly good, Oxford in particular horribly flat in a 2-0 loss at Orient.
The Dons were at least a team from a higher level, though the 4-1 defeat at Norwich was as emphatic as the scoreline suggests.
Twenty-nine places separated these sides in May, now there is nothing between them, as was the case when they met in the FA Cup last January, a game which ended 1-1.
It was tight then and may well be tight again, with the Dons definitely visiting Oxford at a good time.
Alternative Bet: Nathaniel Mendez-Laing anytime scorer @ 10/3
The Dons look to have plenty of goals in them from wide areas, with Nathaniel Mendez-Laing one of their more potent threats.
Despite an injury-hit season in 2025/26, the former Cardiff City and Derby County flier scored nine time and has enjoyed a decent summer with a couple more goals.
He could have grabbed his first of the campaign at Carrow Road only to miss a penalty in the 4-1 loss at Norwich.
However, in a side that looks like it will create chances, Mendez-Laing ought to be a threat and he is well worth backing to find the target.
Oxford United v MK Dons Bet Builder Tip
MK Dons to win either half
Under 10 corners
Goals range 2-4
Pays 9/2
The promoted Dons are set to go and can make a decent start at the Kassam Stadium.
They don't look a bad price to win the game, but at the very least can win a half, which represents a decent first leg of the Bet Builder.
Recent history suggests there will not be many corners in this contest.
No team won fewer corners than Oxford in last season's Championship, while the Dons' League Two games averaged under nine corners a time, so back under 10 corners in this contest.
Oxford's matches averaged 2.2 goals a time last term, MK's 2.8, so sign off this Bet Builder with a goals range of 2-4.
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Key Match Stats
Aaron Ramsey's first competitive match in charge of Oxford ended in a 2-0 loss at Leyton Orient in the EFL Cup first round
MK Dons also lost their opening game of the 2026/27 season, going down 4-1 at Norwich in the same competition
Nine of Oxford's last 11 matches have produced two goals or under
The Dons have lost only one of their last 11 away matches, finding the net in 10 of those games
Oxford averaged 4.0 corners per game in the Championship last season, the lowest in the second tier
Dons matches last season produced an average of 8.8 corners; only Shrewsbury's League Two contests produced less than that
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
