The Voice - Match preview #3: Bradford City vs Luton Town Saturday 16th August 2025 3:00pm

EFL League One Fixture #3
Saturday 16th August 2025 15:00
Bradford City (7th) vs Luton Town (4th)
University of Bradford Stadium (AKA Valley Parade)

Record:
Games Won: 5
Games Drawn: 6
Games Lost: 8

Last 5:
19 Feb 2005: Bradford City 0 – 1 Luton Town
04 Oct 2008: Bradford City 1 – 1 Luton Town
24 Jan 2009: Luton Town 3 – 3 Bradford City
27 Nov 2018: Luton Town 4 – 0 Bradford City
12 Mar 2019: Bradford City 0 – 1 Luton Town

Luton Town:
Luton Town visit Valley Parade this weekend having won both of their opening league fixtues and having lost 1-0 to Championship outfit Coventry City in the EFL Cup. The one consistent from all 3 games? Only one team scored in each.

Luton Town’s opener against AFC Wimbledon was an unimpressive affair, with only 1 shot on target the entire game – and that didn’t account for the goal! Ryan Johnson was the unfortunate player to put the ball past goalkeeper Nathan Bishop to deny the defensively resolute Dons a share of the spoils. Few would have waxed lyrical about the Hatters’ display, but a win is a win, especially this early in the season when sides are still coming together after the Summer break. Were Luton Town lucky? Certainly. Johnson’s looping flicked header wound up bouncing off the underside of his own crossbar, while most of Luton’s other efforts were either blocked or put wide of the target. The margin of victory in the following game at Peterborough United was double that of the win over Wimbledon, but the performance was still somewhat unimpressive.

A diving header from the poorly marked Mads Andersen gave Luton Town the lead on the hour mark, and with just 5 minutes of normal time remaining, Jordan Clark was the beneficiary of Nahki Wells’ vaunted pressure as the veteran striker got the best of Aussie stopper Nicholas Bilokapic after a poor ball back to him from teenage Posh defender George Nevett. Wells easily dispossessed the Peterborough United goalkeeper and laid off the simplest of passes for the easiest of finishes. 2-0, but there does seem to have been a lack of flair and outright attacking prowess on display through Luton Town’s 3 outings so far.

On the other hand, Luton Town have been defensively solid and workmanlike across the pitch. Matt Bloomfield will have no complaints about the Luton Town backline, the former Wycombe Wanderers manager having seen his side concede just 5 shots in 180+ minutes of league football. The game against Coventry City was much more open, but even the Championship side were held to a victory of the narrowest possible margin. A platform to build on, then, for Bloomfield who will be delighted with the full complement of 6 points to date. If they can get tricky veteran Nahki Wells firing alongside Jerry Yates, Luton Town will be a force to be reckoned with – but for now, they are just missing that spark going forward, but by all accounts an improved second half at a poor Peterborough United could give them the momentum they need heading towards one of the true fortresses in the EFL – Valley Parade.

In terms of value, there’s no question the Luton Town squad is littered with talent City could only hope to sign. Goalscoring midfielder Millenic Alli cost a cool £1,500,000, while George Saville alongside him cost Middlesbrough £7,000,000 back in 2019. Jerry Yates is no stranger to big transfer fees, either, having once set Swansea City back £2,500,000, and while Nahki Wells arrived at Kenilworth Road on a free, Graham Alexander has already admitted the rumours circulating in the Summer about a potential move to Valley Parade gave him a chuckle – that’s not a wage we’re likely to see matched at BD8 any time soon!

Even the Luton Town bench hosted some serious talent for their trip to Peterborough United. Nigel Lonwijk on loan from Wolves had caught the eye for Huddersfield Town last season, while former Barnsley standout Cauley Woodrow didn’t even make it on to the pitch. Needless to say, there will be an awful lot to contend with this Saturday.

Peterborough United 0 – 2 Luton Town


Luton Town 1 – 0 AFC Wimbledon


Bradford City:
While million pound players haven’t been on the Bradford City agenda for several decades now, Graham Alexander’s men defied the odds on Tuesday night with a hard-earned 2-1 win away at Blackburn Rovers. An early assault saw first Ibou Touray and then Will Swan grab themselves a goal each, Touray’s in particular a masterful volleyed finish from a high curling ball into the area from impressive debutant Jenson Metcalfe. Will Swan then capitalised on some good work from Tyreik Wright to close down and dispossess opposition goalkeeper Nicholas Michalski, an 18 year old making his full debut.

That was a good tonic after another away league game passed by without a win (or a goal) after a 0 – 0 at Northampton Town. City can count themselves unlucky not to have won, though, with Antoni Sarcevic having both struck the post and seen a shot cleared off the line, but all-in-all the game was not a particularly good one. The hosts would certainly have been the happier of the two clubs having earned their first point of the season, but divisional newcomers Bradford City must also hold their heads high after an undefeated start continued with a fine win at Ewood Park that saw City book a slot in the second round of the EFL Cup.

Sarcevic continues to look one of the likelier players to score for City, a side waiting with bated breath for the return of one Andy Cook, a player who will surely take back the forward berth from the industrious Stephen Humphrys when he’s back fit. Will Swan, too, might have more of a case for pushing for a start for himself having been the first of the pair to bag, but whether Graham Alexander opts to stick ex-Barnsley man Humphrys or the Mansfield Town and Crawley Town alumnus Swan remains to be seen.

One thing is for sure, City will be brimming with confidence after their cup success and a 4-point haul from the league’s opening fixtures, but Luton Town will still probably represent their toughest challenge yet. A side stocked with multiple million pound players as well as ex-City idol Nahki Wells, the Bantams’ back line will have to be at their resolute best this Saturday. Can the likes of Tilt and Pennington keep out the Bermudan legend and company? Having just played their part in denying a bevvy of Championship-quality players hand-picked from around Europe in Lancashire on Tuesday night, they will certainly come into this game thinking they can once again get the upper hand over their illustrious opponents.

Joe Wright will be the subject of a late decision, though, after an eye injury suffered at Blackburn saw him withdrawn just before half time. His absence would be a blow if it comes to pass, the ex-Kilmarnock captain looking a real leader in the Bantams back line so far.

Northampton Town 0 – 0 Bradford City


Bradford City 2 – 1 Wycombe Wanderers


Prediction:
Bradford City fans will probably feel their side have exceeded expectations slightly after an impressive start to life back in League One. Luton Town fans, similarly, will be delighted to have picked up 6 points from 6 despite the fact there has been room for improvement in terms of performances. Now, two teams on good early season form meet at the University of Bradford Stadium.

Luton Town have good quality throughout and have proven stubborn at the back. Bradford City have signed well and to a plan, their wing backs Touray and Neufville looking extremely astute signings, while a new-look back line has also performed admirably. Up front, City have scored 4 in 3 games across both league and cup, with Pointon, Sarcevic, Touray and Swan all finding the back of the net once each.

Luton Town, by contrast, have only seen 2 players score so far – defender Mads Andersen and forward/attacking midfielder Jordan Clark. Nahki Wells will be desperate to get his name on the scoresheet at an old stomping ground, one that provided the springboard to an excellent career, while Jerry Yates will also be looking to open his account sooner rather than alter.

But I am not anticipating a glut of goals here. Bradford City have set up to mind their p’s and q’s, and when they have struck, they have tended to strike early. All 4 goals so far this season have, amazingly, come within the first 13 minutes. After that, against both Wycombe Wanderers and Blackburn Rovers, City have shown real resilience even they haven’t been entirely impermeable at the back. Daniel Udoh scored a fine consolation for Wycombe Wanderers with a second half strike in the season’s opening fixture, while Blackburn Rovers actually hit back right on the stroke of half time, but could do nothing throughout the entire second half to restore parity.

Luton Town, then, will need to be extremely vigilant against an early barrage, and if they can avoid that – and their defence looks up to the job – then this game might ultimately be theirs for the taking. While Valley Parade has been an extremely happy home for the Bantams in recent times, this might just be one step too far, even if Luton Town aren’t firing on all cylinders.

I predict a frustrating afternoon for City fans, and probably a low-scoring loss. A 1-0 or 2-1 defeat seems likely, though any improvement on that will be quite the statement from Graham Alexander’s men against the favourites for the League One title.

Final Score:
Bradford City 1 – 2 Luton Town