You’d need to go back to a League Cup tie at the start of the 2011/12 season to find the last time City played Oxford United in a competitive fixture.
As for a League fixture, head back even further to City’s centenary season, 1999/2000.
City and United shared the points in January 2000 by virtue of a 1-1 draw at Ninian Park; earlier in the campaign, the Bluebirds had come out on top 3-2 at Oxford’s former Manor Ground home. Two goals for Kevin Nugent and the only goal of Winston Faerber’s short City career bettered Matt Murphy’s brace for the Yellows that day.
This year’s Boxing Day fixture, then, will be the first time that Oxford United have hosted City at their Kassam Stadium in League action.
The aforementioned 2011 League Cup tie was notable for the fact that the 3-1 win after extra time was City’s first step en route to the Wembley final showdown versus Liverpool; marked the competitive debut of a 17-year-old Joe Ralls; and brought young local striker Nat Jarvis his first senior goal in City colours.
Several pre-season friendlies have been played between City and United over the past decade, but the two clubs have only met in competitive fixtures 25 times since having first faced each other in a League match in November 1968 at the Manor. United edge it 11-8 in wins, with six draws.