Preview: Bradford City vs Cambridge United - prediction, team news, lineups

Bradford City will welcome newly-promoted Cambridge United to Valley Parade for Tuesday's League One meeting.

The Bantams will be aiming to bounce back from their first defeat of the season, while the U's will be hoping to avoid a third consecutive defeat in all competitions.

Match preview

Bradford City started the season with four consecutive clean sheets, including a 2-0 win over Rochdale in the EFL Cup first round.

The Bantams then recorded league wins over Peterborough United and Sheffield Wednesday, before they beat Championship side Burnley on penalties after playing out a goalless draw in last Tuesday's EFL Cup clash at Valley Parade.

However, their run of clean sheets was ended by a disappointing 2-0 defeat in Saturday's away clash with Plymouth Argyle.

Graham Alexander's side will still be content to be sitting in sixth spot in the League One table ahead of back-to-back home games against Cambridge and Mansfield Town.

Not only are the Bantams unbeaten in three competitive home games this season, but they also finished the 2025-26 League One campaign with the third-best home record.

Bradford can also take confidence from the fact they have avoided defeat in the last five home meetings with Cambridge (W3, D2).

Meanwhile, Cambridge have lost momentum after initially starting the season with back-to-back victories against Barnet and Wigan Athletic in the EFL Cup and league respectively.

The U's then played out a 1-1 draw against Bromley before they fell to a narrow 1-0 defeat against Neil Harris's former club Millwall in the EFL Cup second round.

Cambridge were unable to bounce back in Saturday's league clash with Huddersfield Town despite taking the lead in the 80th minute through Zak Bradshaw.

A late Joe Taylor brace turned the contest in Huddersfield's favour and condemned the U's to a 2-1 loss, their first league defeat since winning promotion back to League One.

As a newly-promoted side, Cambridge can still be satisfied with a return of four points from three games as they now turn their focus to consecutive road trips against Bradford and Burton Albion.

The U's will be looking to record their first competitive away win over Bradford since clinching a narrow 1-0 success in December 1990.

Bradford City League One form:

Bradford City form (all competitions):

Cambridge United League One form:

Cambridge United form (all competitions):

Team News

Bradford are unable to call upon the services of Tyreik Wright, who is expected to be out until October with a quad injury.

Forward Stephen Humphrys has missed the first five competitive games of the season and remains a fitness doubt for Tuesday’s home fixture.

Bobby Pointon and Adam Phillips are pushing for starting spots after featuring as half-time substitutes on Saturday.

As for the visitors, Shane McLoughlin will be out for around six weeks after sustaining a calf injury in the draw against Bromley on August 22.

Cambridge are also without the services of Patrick Bauer, George Hoddle and Callum Stead due to injury.

Ra’ees-Bangura Williams and Sullay Kaikai could come into Harris’s thinking if he opts to freshen up his attacking options for the away trip.

Bradford City possible starting lineup:

McCracken; Baldwin, Pennington, Gillesphey; Neufville, Sarcevic, Connolly, Touray; Phillips, Pointon; Beesley

Cambridge United possible starting lineup:

Eastwood; Heffernan, Watts, Perry; Bennett, Ball, Mpanzu, Bradshaw; Bangura-Williams, Kaikai; Appear

We say: Bradford City 2-1 Cambridge United

Bradford have avoided defeat in their first three competitive home games of the new season, and we believe they will extend that run by edging out Cambridge via a narrow scoreline in Tuesday's encounter.

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