Match Thread #9: Cardiff City vs Bradford City Saturday 20th September 2025 3:00pm

EFL League One Fixture #9
Saturday 20th September 2025 15:00
Cardiff City (1st) vs Bradford City (2nd)
Cardiff City Stadium

Record:
Games Won: 7
Games Drawn: 2
Games Lost: 5

Last 5:
07 May 1994: Bradford City 2 – 0 Cardiff City
30 Oct 1994: Bradford City 2 – 3 Cardiff City
28 Mar 1995: Cardiff City 2 – 4 Bradford City
16 Aug 2003: Cardiff City 0 – 2 Bradford City
17 Jan 2004: Bradford City 0 – 1 Cardiff City

Cardiff City:
When the fixtures were announced in June, one might have expected Cardiff City to be challenging at the top end of the table – but few would have foreseen Cardiff City vs Bradford City being a top of the table clash at this stage of the season!

For their part, Brian Barry-Murphy’s men have hit the ground running, winning 8 of their opening 10 fixtures and drawing the other 2. A couple of stalemates in the league against Port Vale (A, 0-0) and more recently Stockport County (A ,1-1) have ensured Cardiff City have maintained their unbeaten start to the 25/26 campaign, though the leveller at Stockport County from Yousef Salach could scarcely have come any later, and was a smash-and-grab through and through.

Still, Cardiff City have shown fortitude, and their excellent start has also been rewarded with an EFL Cup Third Round tie at Premier League Burnley. Like Saturday’s opponents Bradford City, Cardiff progressed through the early rounds with back-to-back wins to earn a plumb away tie, with the Bluebirds bypassing League Two pair Swindon Town (H, 2-1) and Cheltenham Town (H, 3-0). Before either side can savour the fruits of their cup labours, however, comes this game: Cardiff City (1st) vs Bradford City (2nd).

Both Cardiff City and Bradford City have preserved perfect home records so far, Bradford City having stunned fellow West Yorkshire outfit Huddersfield Town at Valley Parade on Saturday, while Cardiff have played 5, won 5 themselves – a stat that includes those aforementioned EFL Cup wins. In the league, all of Peterborough United (2-1), Rotherham United (3-0) and Plymouth Argyle (4-0) have been beaten at the Cardiff City Stadium, with the scorelines becoming ever-more resounding. This, however, will be the first time Cardiff City have entertained a top half League One side at home so far this season as per the current table.

Key to Cardiff City’s performance this season has been their outstanding defence. Cardiff City have conceded just 3 goals in their opening 10 games across both league and cup, accounting for a full 7 clean sheets. 2 of those goals were scored at the Cardiff City Stadium by Peterborough United and Swindon Town respectively, though Peterborough’s opener in the first game of the season did come from the penalty spot. Likewise, Stockport County’s goal last Saturday also came from the spot, meaning 2/3rds of the goals conceded by Cardiff City this season have been penalties!

The bad news for Cardiff City on this particular front is that they are waiting on fitness tests for 19 year old break-out centre back Dylan Lawlor, as well as newcomer Gabriel Osho, another centre back signed recently from Auxerre having played most of his career in England. Both Lawlor and Osho hobbled off during Tuesday evening’s 1-0 EFL Trophy win over Exeter City. Cian Ashford, sent off in that same game against Exeter City, will not be suspended. His suspension applies only to the EFL Trophy.

In terms of style of play, Cardiff City lead the table in terms of possession stats having seen a full 61.29 % of the ball on average. By contrast, Bradford City sit second bottom of the possession table with just 42.25 %. Once again, then, this will be a case of two sides with contrasting styles looking to assert themselves at their opponent’s expense. Possession-based football has not had a particularly positive rap in BD8 lately, but Cardiff City have been doing things slightly differently to how the Valley Parade crowd might remember from Mark Hughes’ time in charge of the Bantams. Sitting 3rd in the xG table, slightly above 5th-placed Bradford City on that particular metric, Cardiff City have made consistently good use of the ball, especially on home soil. This is not possession for possession’s sake, as can be evidenced from the drubbings issued to both Rotherham United and Plymouth Argyle.

Perhaps it tracks, then, that there is no standout goal threat for Cardiff City. Midfielder Rubin Colwill leads the scoring charts with 3 league goals so far this campaign, with 6’5 striker Yousef Salech, Chris Willock, and super sub Isaak Davies all having notched a pair of goals each. Ryan Wintle, Cian Ashford, and Ronan Kpakio round out the goals with 1 each in the league.

Of further interest is the age of Cardiff City’s squad. Only Peterborough United have fielded a starting XI with a younger age than Cardiff City’s youngest side (22.5 years of age). Among the young standouts are Ronan Kpakio (18), Dylan Lawlor (19), Cian Ashford (20), Joel Colwill (20), and Will Fish (22), four of whom are all home-grown talent. Ollie Tanner, Yousef Salech and Rubin Colwill are all just 23 years of age. This in stark contrast to the current Bradford City side who are generally much older, with an average age of 28/29 through most games so far – the highest in the division on average, and bested only by an XI fielded by Mansfield Town for a single game. The Bantams have clocked in at 29.5 years of age on multiple occasions.

Stockport County 1 – 1 Cardiff City


Cardiff City 4 – 0 Plymouth Argyle


Bradford City:
Bradford City rebounded from a disappointing 3-1 defeat away at Doncaster Rovers by besting neighbours Huddersfield Town at home by that same score. Bobby Pointon came away from the derby claiming his first hattrick, though some sources still credit the outstanding Josh Neufville with the third. Whatever the case, City endured an unconvincing opening quarter of an hour, before Pointon put his hometown side ahead, and a double-salvo right before half time broke Terrier spirits. Few seemed concerned when Zepiqueno Redmond netted a consolation for the visitors, and Bradford saw the game out very professionally.

Perhaps that speaks to the experience levels at City, who (as mentioned above) have on average fielded the oldest starting XI in the division. That’s not to say we are watching another Dad’s Army-style outfit, far from it! Players like Pointon, Will Swan, and Tyreik Wright all add real dynamism if not always outright pace, which is more the domain of players like Josh Neufville, Ibou Touray and, at times, Alex Pattison. Nonetheless, this ‘seasoned’ City side have shown a certain maturity that was perhaps missing late on last season despite the presence of players like Richie Smallwood.

The diametrically opposed scorelines against Doncaster and Huddersfield also speaks to the potential for a more unwanted dichotomy to raise its head: the difference between Home and Away form. That said, City have only actually lost once on the road so far, whereas drab draws against Northampton Town and Peterborough United had, at the time, allowed City to extend their unbeaten start to 9 games prior to the collapse at Doncaster Rovers.

There is, though, real potential now for a succession of away defeats that would all, in their own way, be understandable. Cardiff City next, the young highflyers who have conceded only 1 goal that wasn’t a penalty, and Newcastle United the game after in a highly anticipated EFL Cup Third Round clash. Winning either looks a tall order, though certainly any sane City fan would take a point at the Cardiff City Stadium.

But look on the bright side: Bradford City didn’t dwell on the Doncaster display for long, and City’s home side remains imperious. The Bantams are one of just 4 sides who have made a perfect start at home in this season’s league campaign, the others being Huddersfield Town, Cardiff City, and Stevenage – though the latter have only played at home 3 times so far, while City and Town have both played and won 4.

Now, City must prevent a second straight away day defeat, against a side who have been absolutely resolute in defence both home and away. The Bantams must be cautious but must also seize their chances with the same kind of efficiency that sees them rivalling Cardiff City’s xG stats despite matching none of the possession-based metrics. It’s undoubtedly a tall order, and front to back, Bradford City are in for a very tough time in what is likely to be hostile territory.

This is a top-of-the-table clash for a reason. For all of Cardiff City’s sparkling numbers so far this campaign, Bradford City have played – and beaten – some of the biggest fish in the pond. Cardiff City, less so. Even their path to the EFL Cup Third Round was significantly ‘easier’ on paper. Bradford City must use the fact that metal sharpens metal, as they say, and learn from their mistakes at Doncaster Rovers. If they can, they are capable of giving Cardiff City a very tough game. Only the respective Home and Away records truly tilts matters in Cardiff’s favour…

Bradford City 3 – 1 Huddersfield Town


Doncaster Rovers 3 – 1 Bradford City

 

Prediction:
Fun fact: the last time Bradford City lost at Cardiff City was in 1982. In context, though, that means little given how infrequently the two sides have played each other despite this fixture being over 100 years old. While Cardiff City joined the EFL in May 1920, there have been only 14 meetings between the pair – with Bradford City having had the better of it in more recent years (“more recent” in this case being the last 31 years!).

Finally, then, the two City’s meet again, and both are flying high. Newly promoted Bradford City sit in second place in the League One table, while Cardiff City – the first team relegated from the Championship last time out – are top. The young Bluebirds dismantled fellow relegatees Plymouth Argyle last time out at home, romping to a 4-0 win and showing every other side in the division just how big of a task it will be visiting the Cardiff City Stadium this season.

That said, Bradford City are on better form than any of the sides that have visited Cardiff this campaign. While their away record of 1 win, 2 draws and 1 defeat is nothing to write home about, the fact is it’s still enough to sit 8th place in the ‘Away’ league table, far higher than Plymouth (18th), Rotherham (22nd) and most certainly Peterborough United (24th). That still won’t make any easier to travel to one of the division’s early fortresses.

Efficiency in front of goal will be the key. Chances might come few and far between for the Bantams against a resolute backline, especially given Cardiff City’s propensity to keep the ball (and use it well). The Bantams will have to try and be more than just a counter attacking threat, in my opinion, and will have to bring their customary pressure and physicality to disrupt Cardiff’s rhythm as much as possible.

If Bradford City cannot do so, it could be a long game for Graham Alexander’s men. If Cardiff City get on top, they will not relent. Scores of 3-0 and 4-0 have already been doled out, with Cardiff scoring roughly an even split across both first half and second half in those games. Getting to half time on level terms will be huge for the Bantams – and if they can sneak a goal, all the better.

I do not expect to see too many goals here, though. On paper, this looks like a fairly straight forward pick despite being a top of the table clash, and so I will opt for the percentages. Cardiff City won their first pair of games at home this season 2-1. I think they might just go back to that scoreline, and that’s only if Bradford City can nick one at the other end, which is far from a certainty. Yes, sadly, the pick is a defeat this Saturday. Let’s hope the lads defy the odds!

Final Score:
Cardiff City 2 – 1 Bradford City