- 1 Bradford City vs Cambridge United: four clean sheets, then a wobble – where are the Bantams really at?
- 2 Bradford City: the defensive benchmark, with just one crack
- 3 Cambridge United: the promoted side has stalled
- 4 Football Prediction Bradford City vs Cambridge United
- 5 First, a quick word on our free picks
- 6 No commitment from us
- 7 Information changes
- 8 Your responsibility
- 9 Responsible gambling first
- 10 Legal age
- 11 About the visuals…
Bradford City vs Cambridge United: four clean sheets, then a wobble – where are the Bantams really at? 
Bradford City started the season with four straight shutouts. That run ended on Saturday at Home Park, where they lost 2-0 to Plymouth Argyle.
Even so, the Bantams sit sixth in League One heading into the visit of Cambridge United. The newly promoted side have four points from three games and come in off back-to-back defeats in all competitions.
Kick-off is set for Tuesday 1 September at 20:45 French time, or 19:45 local time, at Valley Parade. It brings the fourth round of the league season to a close for both sides.
Bradford’s form before Saturday’s setback had been impressive: 2-0 against Rochdale in the EFL Cup, 2-0 against Peterborough United, 1-0 away at Sheffield Wednesday, then 0-0 against Burnley before winning on penalties.
Cambridge, by contrast, made a bright start with wins over Barnet and Wigan Athletic before running out of steam. A 1-1 draw at Bromley, a 0-1 cup exit against Millwall and a 2-1 defeat to Huddersfield have knocked them back.
So this is the sort of fixture where both teams need a reset, but from very different starting points. Bradford are trying to hold onto their status as a top-half contender. Cambridge are still getting used to the level.
One last stat points firmly toward the hosts: the Bantams are unbeaten in their last five home games against Cambridge, with three wins and two draws. At Valley Parade, the recent record is clear.
Bradford City: the defensive benchmark, with just one crack 
Four straight clean sheets to open a season does not happen by accident. Graham Alexander has built a disciplined unit, one that has stood up to both Peterborough and Championship side Burnley.
The 0-2 defeat at Plymouth on Saturday is the first real bump in the road. It came against a side finding its feet again, on a ground where the Pilgrims are hard to live with.
At home, the record is still spotless: three competitive games, no defeat this season. Bradford already posted the third-best home record in League One in 2025-26.
The schedule has opened a nice window too, with two straight home games, Cambridge United and then Mansfield Town. It is the perfect chance to get back in front of the pack.
On the injury front, Tyreik Wright is expected to be out until October with a hamstring problem. Stephen Humphrys, who has missed the first five competitive matches, is still a doubt for Tuesday.
Bobby Pointon and Adam Phillips, though, are pushing for starts after coming on at half-time on Saturday. Their energy could give Bradford the spark they lacked at Home Park.
That is the key point: Bradford are back in a setting that suits them, backed by a crowd that expects a lot and a defence that has only been beaten once in five outings. A response feels likely.
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Cambridge United: the promoted side has stalled 
Four points from three League One games is hardly a disaster for a newly promoted club. But the trend has already turned.
The 3-2 win over Wigan Athletic remains the attacking high point of the opening stretch. Since then, the U’s have drawn at Bromley and lost twice, to Millwall in the cup and Huddersfield in the league.
The match against the Terriers sums up the current limits of Neil Harris’s side. Zak Bradshaw had them in front on 80 minutes, only for a late Joe Taylor double to flip it on its head.
Conceding two goals in the final quarter of an hour after leading tells its own story. That is exactly the sort of weakness Bradford, who are comfortable in tight finishes, will fancy exploiting.
The injury list is making life harder too. Shane McLoughlin is facing around six weeks out after picking up a calf injury at Bromley on 22 August. Patrick Bauer, George Hoddle and Callum Stead are also sidelined.
That could mean Neil Harris has to freshen up his attack with Ra’ees Bangura-Williams and Sullay Kaikai. This is not so much a choice as a necessity.
One last stat does the rest of the damage: Cambridge have not won a competitive game at Bradford since a 1-0 victory in December 1990. Thirty-six years without a win on this ground is not nothing.
Expected Bradford City line-up: McCracken; Baldwin, Pennington, Gillesphey; Neufville, Sarcevic, Connolly, Touray; Phillips, Pointon; Beesley
Expected Cambridge United line-up: Eastwood; Heffernan, Watts, Perry; Bennett, Ball, Mpanzu, Bradshaw; Bangura-Williams, Kaikai; Appear
Football Prediction Bradford City vs Cambridge United
Our prediction: Bradford City to win
The first reason is Bradford’s defensive record: four clean sheets in their first five competitive games of the season. Only one opponent, Plymouth, has found a way through.
The second is the split at Valley Parade: Bradford are unbeaten in their three home games this season and unbeaten in their last five against Cambridge. The promoted side, meanwhile, have not won here since December 1990.
Add in four Cambridge absentees and their recent habit of failing to hold on to leads, and the picture gets pretty clear. Bradford look set to get their season moving again at home.
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