Hull City v Oxford United: Tigers aiming to clear key Championship hurdle for first time in 2024-25

You have to go back 15 months to the last time that the East Yorkshire outfit won back-to-back home league games - a stark indicator to their struggles in these parts for sure.

Narrow defeats and sporadic moments of poor game management costing them points from winning positions have provided the main narrative of this season in particular.

Under Ruben Selles, there has been incremental improvement at least and victory this evening would possess psychological merit heading towards the final international break of a stressful 2024-25.

As ever, the devil will be in the detail for the hands-on Spaniard, who prides himself on a high level of organisation among the sides he coaches.

On achieving that much-needed milestone of successive victories in front of their own supporters for the first time this term, Selles - whose side produced the sort of structured and orderly performance which keeps you out of trouble in May in their priceless home win over lowly Plymouth Argyle last week, said: "The most important thing is the way we want to perform in the game.

"We will always go for the victory and three points, but for me, it's important we do our key points brilliantly and we go onto the pitch with the energy, belief and braveness we have been showing in the last games.

"Because with that, we will have a good opportunity to win football matches."

Selles must make one enforced change against the U’s, after the club failed in their bid to get Joao Pedro's red card overturned following his early dismissal at Bristol City on Saturday.

The striker received his marching orders for a challenge on George Tanner shortly after putting the Tigers in front at Ashton Gate, with Selles angered by the decision.

Matt Crooks, Mason Burstow and Kasey Palmer, all on the bench at the weekend, represent options for Selles, who could also switch Kyle Joseph into a central role.

Selles added: "Things happen in football, such as injuries and suspensions.

"You need to be ready to act, we don' t make excuses, but attack the situation as a team. Someone will have the opportunity to step onto the pitch and make a difference for us."

In a carbon copy of events ahead of the reverse fixture, Oxford once again head into this latest meeting with Hull on the back of an eight-game winless sequence in the Championship.

Back on Bonfire Night, a solitary goal from Hidde ter Avest, on his first start, earned the U’s three points on an evening which saw Hull hover just above the drop zone in the dying embers of the Tim Walter era.

It has been more positive since under Selles, while Oxford also made a far more controversial change the following month when the popular Des Buckingham was axed - that victory over the Tigers was his last as U’s chief.

Despite the conjecture over that decision, the appointment of a seasoned second-tier operator in Gary Rowett has worked out well, despite their recent run without a victory.

An impressive - and potentially season-defining - run of five wins in an unbeaten nine-match spell has kept the U’s away from choppy relegation waters.

A bit of work is still to do, but Oxford have been obdurate and organised since Rowett’s arrival, particularly on their travels where they have conceded just six goals in their last eight league outings - handy numbers in a season all about survival.

Selles continued: "I expect a tough challenge. Since Gary took the team, they have been competitive.

"We always discuss in these situations about the way you get your points. You probably (usually) get your wins where they are a little bit more distributed, instead they got a lot of points when he arrived in the beginning.

"In the situation right now, they will probably think they are doing a pretty good job.

"I remember Gary arrived a little bit earlier than when I arrived and the team were around the relegation battle and they immediately put up a lot of points.

"His teams are always well organised and difficult to beat with some good footballers. “(Cameron) Brannagan was the best player in League One last season and now is a good midfielder for the category (level).

"And (Elliott) Moore and (Michal) Helik are good in the set-pieces and they (also) have very attacking players and (Mark) Harris is always in and around to score. They are a good team and one who are difficult to beat."