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

Bradford City will be hoping to pick up a huge win when they welcome Cardiff City to Valley Parade in a top-of-the-table League One clash on Saturday.

The hosts currently sit third and have impressed in their first season in the division since 2019, while the visitors are first and well-placed to secure an immediate return to the Championship.

Match preview

Bradford are eyeing a second consecutive promotion after finishing third in League Two last season, with Graham Alexander's side suffering less defeats than any other team in League One.

The Bantams also have one of the best home records, losing just once in 12 games, and they did beat Cardiff away from home earlier this season.

Tommy Leigh, Antoni Sarcevic and Josh Neufville all found the back of the net as Bradford won 3-1 at the Cardiff City stadium back in September and they head into Saturday's game having picked up six wins in their last eight league games.

Bradford's most recent outing saw them beat Blackpool 2-1 on January 4, with Aden Baldwin and Will Swan on target, while their scheduled clash with Rotherham United last weekend was called off due to a frozen pitch.

Alexander will be hoping his side can continue their good form this weekend when they take on a Cardiff team that has only suffered one defeat in their last 11 league games.

Cardiff have enjoyed an excellent campaign under Brian Barry-Murphy as they look to bounce back after being relegated from the Championship last season.

Barry-Murphy has won 22 of his 35 games in charge of the club and only Stockport County have picked up more wins on the road than them this season.

The Bluebirds have also scored more goals than any other League One side and have the division's joint-leading goalscorer, with striker Yousef Salech netting 12 goals in 25 games.

Salech will have a key role to play on Saturday, having scored a brilliant goal in last weekend's 1-1 draw with Leyton Orient, and Cardiff will be feeling confident heading into the clash with Bradford.

Bradford City League One form:

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Bradford City form (all competitions):

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Cardiff City League One form:

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Cardiff City form (all competitions):

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Team News

Bradford will be missing the likes of Matthew Pennington, Bobby Pointon, Nick Powell and Lewis Richards through injury, but Louie Sibley could make his first start in midfield after joining on loan from Oxford United.

Sibley could partner club captain Max Power in midfield, with Jenson Metcalfe dropping to the bench, and Baldwin, Curtis Tilt and Ibou Touray are expected to continue in defence.

Cardiff are set to be without Omari Kellyman after he picked up a suspected groin issue against Orient, while Dylan Lawlor also missed that game with a hamstring injury.

Joel Colwill could come into the side for Kellyman after Barry-Murphy recently praised his "exceptional" performances in training, while Salech will continue leading the line and Ollie Tanner and Chris Willock are expected to start out wide.

Bradford City possible starting lineup:

Walker; Baldwin, Tilt, Touray; Neufville, Power, Sibley, Wright; Sarcevic, Swan, Kavanagh

Cardiff City possible starting lineup:

Trott; Ng, Osho, Fish, Bagan; Wintle, Robertson; Tanner, J. Colwill, Willock; Salech