Bolton Wanderers have only lost one of their last eight games against Oxford (W5 D2), a 3-1 defeat in October 2022, with all eight games coming in League One.
Oxford United lost 5-0 to Bolton in March in a League One fixture, their heaviest defeat of the season. It’s only the third time a team will face another in a Football League play-off final after losing by 5+ goals during the regular league season, along with Barnsley vs Ipswich in 1999-00 (lost 6-1 regular season, lost 4-2 in final) and Gillingham vs Shrewsbury in 2008-09 (lost 7-0 regular season, won 1-0 in final).
This is Bolton’s first appearance in a Football League play-off final since 2001. It’s the fourth longest gap between such appearances after Port Vale (29 years, 1993/2022), Tranmere Rovers (28 years, 1991/2019) and Middlesbrough (27 years 1988/2015).
Oxford are featuring in a Football League play-off final for just a second time – they were beaten 2-1 by Wycombe Wanderers in the 2019-20 League One final under Karl Robinson. They are looking to reach the second tier of English football for the first time since 1998-99.
Bolton have alternated between losing (2) and winning (2) their four play-off final matches, beating Preston North End in their last such game in May 2001. Their two losses against Tranmere Rovers in 1990-91 and Watford in 1998-1999 both saw the Trotters fail to score.
Oxford United won their first two matches at Wembley (1986 vs QPR, 2010 vs York) but have since lost each of their last three trips to the national stadium (2016 vs Barnsley, 2017 vs Coventry, 2020 vs Wycombe).
This will be Bolton’s third competitive match at the new Wembley Stadium – they lost 5-0 against Stoke City in the 2010-11 FA Cup semi-final, before beating Plymouth Argyle 4-0 in last year’s EFL Trophy final.
In all competitions this season, Oxford have netted 97 goals, which is 34 more than they managed last season (63). It’s their most in a season since 2016-17 (100).
Bolton’s 121 goals in all competitions so far this season is their most ever in a single campaign, overtaking the 120 they scored in 1996-97 when they gained promotion to the Premier League.
Cameron Brannagan has been involved in 24 goals in all competitions for Oxford United this season (13 goals, 11 assists), the joint most of any player at the club, and he’s netted five goals and assisted four more in his last 12 appearances. He also played the full 90 minutes in the U’s last League One play-off final in 2020 against Wycombe.