Hull City

Two sides seeking their first win go head-to-head at the MKM Stadium on Sunday (15:00 BST) as Oxford United head to Hull City.

Sergej Jakirovic's Tigers picked up a battling point from a stalemate at Coventry on the opening day, but the U's went down 1-0 at home to Portsmouth in their first game.

• Hull City are unbeaten across their past nine home league games against Oxford United (W6 D3), winning each of their last three in succession whilst netting 2+ goals in each.

• Oxford United have only won one of their past five Football League games against Hull City (D1 L3); a 1-0 victory at home in November last season.

• Hull have lost their opening home game of a league season in just two of the prior 13 seasons (W9 D2), a run which has seen them concede just 14 goals in total.

• Oxford last lost each of their opening two league games of a season back in 2020-21, though have avoided that fate in each of their last six campaigns in the second tier.

• Last season in the Championship, only relegated Plymouth (48) attempted fewer shots on target on the road than Oxford (61), with the U's also recording the second-fewest touches in the opposition's penalty area (306).

Hull City manager Sergej Jakirovic says his players should take the positives from their defeat by Wrexham on penalties in their Carabao Cup first-round tie.

The game ended 3-3 when striker Ollie Palmer came on and scored two injury-time goals to force the shootout, which the Red Dragons won 5-3.

After failing to make round two, Jakirovic wants to look forward to Sunday's home game against Oxford United in the Championship (15:00 BST).

"The boys gave everything on the pitch, I think looking forwards it's good," Jakirovic told BBC Radio Humberside.

"I said to them to keep their heads up and that Sunday is a new game to look forward to.

"Thank you to the fans, I felt like we were playing at home, the atmosphere was great."

Listen to the full interview and more on BBC Sounds.

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Hull are confident of keeping defender Charlie Hughes at the MKM Stadium.

The Tigers have rejected two bids from Championship rivals Coventry, the last being £7m, for the 21-year-old.

Hull sold Jacob Greaves to Ipswich for £17m last summer and it is expected any offer for Hughes would need to eclipse that to even be considered.

But the Tigers are also under a transfer embargo and unable to sign players for a fee, meaning they would not be able to reinvest the money for a replacement, leaving them determined to keep Hughes.

He joined Hull from Wigan last summer as a replacement for Greaves - winning the club's Young Player of the Year award - and has made 28 appearances, including Saturday's opening 0-0 draw at Coventry.

Image source, Rex Features

Hull City head coach Sergej Jakirovic says he was happy to pick up a point on his debut in English football.

Bosnian Jakirovic took over at MKM Stadium this summer after Ruben Selles was sacked.

And his new-look team came through a tough assignment at last season's play-off semi-finalists Coventry City.

"I'm very happy with the point, especially the beginning of the season when you never know where you are after the preparation," he told BBC Radio Humberside.

"It's very confident for the boys to see they can play against favourites as Coventry for me is in the top five in this league.

"It's a very promising point for us."

After falling at the semi-final stage of the Championship Play-offs in May, Coventry begin their latest quest for promotion to the Premier League with the visit of Hull City on Saturday (12:30 BST).

Frank Lampard begins his first full season in charge aiming to steer the Sky Blues to a fast start, something which evaded his predecessor Mark Robins in recent seasons.

Having avoided relegation on the final day of last season, a new era begins for Hull City with Sergej Jakirovic taking charge of the Tigers for the first time after replacing Blades-bound Ruben Selles at the helm in June.

• Coventry City have won just one of their last seven league games against Hull City (D3 L3), failing to keep a clean sheet across that time.

• Hull City have won four of their last six away league games against Coventry City (D1 L1), winning three of those without conceding in the process.

• This is the second time that Coventry and Hull have met on the opening day of a league campaign, with the previous fixture back in August 1966 in the second tier seeing the Sky Blues win 1-0 on home soil.

• Hull have won two of their last three away games that have fallen on matchday one of an EFL campaign, though did lose their last 2-1 vs Norwich City in August 2023.

• Last season in the Championship, only Josh Brownhill (24) and Finn Azaz (23) recorded more goal contributions among midfielders than Coventry's Jack Rudoni (22 – 10 goals, 12 assists). Two of those came against Hull (one goal, one assist).

Striker Joe Gelhardt, 23, will return to Hull City on a season-long loan from Leeds after helping the Tigers stay up during a loan spell last season. (Hull Live, external)

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Friday's gossip column here.

Hull City are facing competition for the signature of left-back Brandon Williams.

The 24-year-old has been without a club for a year since leaving Manchester United. (Daily Mail), external

Blackpool are set to beat Hull City to the signing of former Millwall forward Duncan Watmore. (Football League World), external

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Wednesday's gossip column here.

Hull City and Leeds United are in advanced talks to bring English forward Joe Gelhardt back to the MKM Stadium on a season-long loan after the 23-year-old's spell with the club at the back end of their last campaign. (Hull Daily Mail), external

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Tuesday's gossip column here.

Former Hull City captain Curtis Davies says that the Tigers' current financial issues won't leave the players concerned about their wages - but it will make them worry about the club's ambitions.

The side has struggled since sacking boss Liam Rosenior in May 2024 after coming up one place short of the play-offs that season.

The following year they ended up in the relegation fight, dismissing replacement Tim Walter in November while next boss Ruben Selles secured them another year in the Championship before departing for Sheffield United.

They are now under the guidance of boss Sergej Jakirovic but the Bosnian has no experience in English football and has to deal with a transfer embargo that the club is currently appealing.

"The players are getting paid so that side is fine - it's the ambition," Davies told BBC Radio Humberside.

"If you sign for a club and this club finished seventh when you signed and they sack that manager to get this next manager that they think is going to take you to the next level, you're sold that dream.

"But then you end up escaping relegation with two managers and now another manager the year after.

"The likes of Semi Ajayi that came from West Brom, a very good player, a Nigerian international, maybe thought as well the club might kick on... but now, because of the fee restriction, we may be going in this direction."

Listen to the full interview with Curtis Davies and more on BBC Sounds.