Preview: Bradford City vs Stevenage - prediction, team news, lineups

Bradford City will welcome Stevenage to Valley Parade this Saturday afternoon in League One, with both sides aiming to aid their chances of making the playoffs.

The hosts will be aware a victory will all but confirm their place in the playoffs, while the visitors know they could drop out of the top six with a defeat at the weekend.

Match preview

Bradford enter this match currently sitting third in the League One table after their 41 matches, accumulating 71 points from their 21 wins, eight draws and 12 defeats.

There will still be ambitions from the hosts that a miracle could happen in their remaining five games to secure automatic promotion to the Championship; however, they would need a capitulation from Cardiff City to allow this as they trail the Welsh club by seven points in this race.

The Bantams are currently nine points clear of Plymouth Argyle, who are in seventh, and so a victory would go a long way to confirming their place in the playoffs.

Fans will arrive at Valley Parade expecting to see a Bradford goal, as they have scored in all 13 of their league matches against Stevenage, only holding a better record of scoring in each league fixture against a single opponent when facing MK Dons across club history, on 18 occasions.

After beating Northampton 1-0 at Valley Parade on Good Friday, Bradford have now won seven of their home league matches by 1-0 scorelines this season – the most of any side across England’s top four tiers. The Bantams have never won eight home league fixtures by a 1-0 scoreline within the same season in club history.

Stevenage come into this match sat sixth in the division after their 40 matches, boasting 64 points from 18 wins, 10 draws and 12 defeats.

The visitors will be well aware they could drop out of the playoffs with defeat, as Plymouth Argyle and Reading, who sit directly below them, are only two points off sixth.

Alex Revell’s side enter this game in good form as they are unbeaten in their last three games with two wins and a draw.

However, fans will not be confident coming into this, as their club have lost five of their six away league games against Bradford City, the exception coming in a 3-2 victory in March 2014.

Since the start of 2016, Stevenage have won just two of their 17 away league games against sides from Yorkshire, with 1-0 victories against Doncaster in October 2022 and Barnsley in January 2025.

Bradford City League One form:

W L D L W W

Stevenage League One form:

L W L W D W

Team News

Bradford are expected to be without Tyreik Wright due to injury after he missed the victory over Wycombe Wanderers last time out.

The Bantams also saw Harrison Ashby withdrawn from this victory over the Chairboys due to an injury, and it is likely he will miss this game.

Stevenage will be without Mathaeus Roberts, as he is ruled out with an Achilles tendon injury, and it is likely Luther James-Wildin will not be fit for this match, as he was not part of the matchday squad for the win against Blackpool after being withdrawn against Rotherham due to a knock.

Harvey White scored the winning goal against Blackpool, and so it is likely he will continue on the wing for this match.

Bradford City possible starting lineup:

Walker; Tilt, Baldwin, Pennington; Touray, Power, Evans, Wright; Pointon, Humphrys, Sarcevic

Stevenage possible starting lineup:

Marschall; Freestone, Piergianni, Goode; Roberts, White, D. Phillips, Pattenden; M. Phillips, Kemp; Reid

We say: Bradford City 1-1 Stevenage

Both sides have been strong at the back this season, and so this will be a close encounter with the pair potentially approaching it with the intention of ensuring they do not lose rather than going out for a win, so it should finish all square.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.