We play better against top teams - De Keersmaecker

De Keersmaecker joined the U's from the Dutch Eredivise this summer

Oxford United midfielder Brian De Keersmaecker said the team play better against the more "football-playing" Championship clubs.

The U's have already taken points off high-flyers Coventry City and Middlesbrough at home, and won away to Bristol City this season.

They host fifth-placed Ipswich Town on Friday night, and De Keersmaecker told BBC Radio Oxford: "I have a feeling we play better against teams that are playing football against us. We have more space, we can also play more football.

"How that is possible I don't know. The lower-placed teams maybe want to fight more. Like I said earlier this year, we have a group who can play good football. It just has to come out of everyone."

Despite taking an impressive home point off Middlesbrough last weekend, the U's needed a 95th-minute equaliser to grab a draw at second-bottom Norwich City on Tuesday, leaving them inside the relegation zone themselves.

"Its not nice to see the team standing below that dotted line. But every game has to be played. We've played better against teams higher in the rankings," De Keersmaecker said.

"We're just going into every game like it's a new game, with a new challenge and new opportunites to get three points.

"In the Championship you never know. Between second and 17th there are only eight points so you never know. If you look at Derby, they win five times in a row and now they are eighth.

"In this league, everything can happen, so you have to play every game with a lot of intensity, and try to win every game because a point is not enough."

'My body has to adapt'

De Keersmaecker moved from the Dutch Eredivisie in the summer and said the English game is very different.

"Physicality-wise, everyone [in the EFL] is big, tall, as a midfielder you have to run with more intensity, and often you see the ball over your head - kick and rush. I have to adapt to that.

"If you look at The Netherlands, the gaffers really want every team to try to play from behind, but here, if you feel a bit of pressure, just kick it long, go for the second balls and move up as a team.

"Personally, I just have to try to be available as soon as possible and get the ball in the midfield, and give the defenders the option to not play it long."

The Belgian is also getting used to the packed EFL fixture schedule as the U's prepare for their third game in seven days.

"I really feel it. In The Netherlands I only played two games a week if it was a cup game, two or three times a year.

"Here, it's two games every week, so the body has to adapt to that. It's good, because if you play bad games, the next game is following really fast. So you can play a good game after that, so it doesn't stay in the mind too quick.

"I would take it as a positive, and I like to play lots of games, so its good."

Ipswich are unbeaten in six matches, yielding 14 points, 12 goals and just three conceded, but De Keersmaecker said his team are confident.

"[Ipswich] have a really good team, that's why they're fifth in the table.

"Everyone has to be 120% to get a result out of that, but I think we play at home, its always difficult for other teams to come to the Kassam and play against us. So hopefully we can end this short week with a lot of games with three points."