Bradford City vs Bolton Wanderers - prediction, team news, lineups

Bradford City and Bolton Wanderers volition reason their conflict for a spot successful the League One playoff last connected Thursday, erstwhile they quadrate disconnected astatine the University of Bradford Stadium successful the 2nd limb of their semi-final tie.

The visitors caput to Yorkshire with a slender pb to defend, having won the archetypal limb 1-0 connected location turf connected Saturday.

Match preview

Bradford City instrumentality to enactment connected Thursday needing to overturn their playoff semi-final necktie to basal a accidental of advancing to Wembley and earning a 2nd consecutive promotion.

After their ascent backmost to the 3rd tier, the Bantams enjoyed different beardown campaign, yet finishing 4th connected 77 points from their 46 matches, losing 13 of those portion winning 22 - a tally lone topped by the teams who won automatic promotion.

Their top-six spot was inactive hanging successful the equilibrium heading to the last time successful a choky playoff race, though, connected the backmost of a nonaccomplishment and 3 draws, including with Bolton Wanderers, but Graham Alexander's broadside bounced backmost with a triumph implicit relegation-threatened Exeter City, winning 2-1 having led 2-0 done Antoni Sarcevic and Kayden Jackson.

That saw the Yorkshire outfit ascent to 4th spot and gain a location 2nd limb for their playoff semi-final tie, and they were incapable to bring the necktie backmost to the University of Bradford Stadium connected level presumption astatine the weekend, visiting Bolton and falling to a 1-0 decision connected the nighttime aft keeping the crippled goalless until the hr mark.

They present caput into the decisive 2nd limb with location vantage needing to triumph connected the nighttime to basal a accidental of progressing to the last astatine Wembley adjacent week.

Their visitors, meanwhile, marque the travel aiming to marque the astir of their pb and publication their ain travel to Wembley for a 2nd League One playoff last successful 3 years.

After falling abbreviated successful that effort and missing retired connected the apical six past clip around, Bolton Wanderers returned to the playoffs successful 2025-26, finishing 5th connected 75 points from their 46 outings, with lone champions Lincoln City suffering less than their 9 defeats.

Like the hosts, though, the Trotters besides struggled to transportation a beardown vein of signifier into the extremity of the regular season, albeit with their top-six presumption harmless heading into the last day, arsenic they won conscionable 1 of their last six matches and ended with a 3-2 location decision to Luton Town.

That near Steven Schumacher's broadside fifth, 2 points down their semi-final opponents, but they were capable to get up past week successful their semi-final location leg, arsenic Amario Cozier-Duberry broke the deadlock connected the hr mark, scoring the lone extremity successful a 1-0 location triumph connected the night.

Now facing a pugnacious trial connected the roadworthy astatine the broadside with the league's 3rd strongest location record, but with a slender vantage from the archetypal leg, Bolton Wanderers volition anticipation to spot the necktie done connected Thursday and punch their summons to Wembley successful a bid to instrumentality to the Championship for the archetypal clip since 2019.

Bradford City League One form:

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Bolton Wanderers League One form:

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Team News

Bradford City are bound to tract a akin starting XI from Saturday's archetypal leg, fixed their settled nature, with prima attacker Bobby Pointon apt the lone subordinate to stay retired done injury.

Tyreik Wright was acceptable to instrumentality disconnected the seat past clip out, though, aft his ain wounded layoff, and he, Stephen Humphrys, Nick Powell and Will Swan volition each combat for starts successful attack.

That is aft George Lapslie and Sarcevic supported Kayden Jackson successful the archetypal leg, portion Max Power and Jenson Metcalfe volition proceed their midfield concern and Aden Baldwin, Joe Wright and Curtis Tilt signifier an established backmost three.

Bolton Wanderers whitethorn besides stay unchanged with attackers Marcus Forss and Corey Blackett-Taylor inactive confined to the attraction room.

Ethan Erhahon was acceptable to commencement alongside Josh Sheehan successful midfield connected Saturday, having been sidelined since precocious March, portion determination is plentifulness of contention for starts astatine the apical extremity of their 4-2-3-1 setup.

Cozier-Duberry volition proceed connected the wing, with 9 goals and 10 assists to his sanction successful League One this term, portion Ruben Rodrigues, Ibrahim Cissoko, Mason Burstow, Sam Dalby, Thierry Gale and John McAtee volition each anticipation to diagnostic from the outset.

Bradford City imaginable starting lineup:

Walker; Baldwin, J Wright, Tilt; Neufville, Metcalfe, Power, Touray; Lapslie, Jackson, Sarcevic

Bolton Wanderers imaginable starting lineup:

Bonham; Osei-Tutu, Toal, Forino-Joseph, Johnston; Erhahon, Sheehan; Cozier-Duberry, Rodrigues, Cissoko; Dalby

We say: Bradford City 1-1 Bolton Wanderers (Bolton Wanderers triumph 2-1 connected aggregate)

Bradford City volition beryllium forced to pursuit the crippled with location vantage and person the tools to wounded their visitors, but the visitors besides person plentifulness of prime passim the transportation and should person capable to support their noses successful beforehand and beforehand to the final.

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