The Voice - Match preview #6: Bradford City vs AFC Wimbledon Saturday 30th August 2025 3:00pm

EFL League One Fixture #6
Saturday 30th August 2025 15:00
Bradford City (4th) vs AFC Wimbledon (10th)
University of Bradford Stadium (AKA Valley Parade)

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

Last 5:
14 Jan 2023: AFC Wimbledon 0 – 0 Bradford City
14 Oct 2023: AFC Wimbledon 0 – 1 Bradford City
03 Feb 2024: Bradford City 0 – 0 AFC Wimbledon
21 Sep 2024: Bradford City 0 – 0 AFC Wimbledon
01 Feb 2025: AFC Wimbledon 1 – 0 AFC Wimbledon

AFC Wimbledon:
AFC Wimbledon have every reason to be pleased by their start to life in League One so far this season. A side who built promotion from League Two on the back of maintaining the meanest defence in the division, AFC Wimbledon have started the new season in very much the same vain. Despite losing influential wing back (and ever present) Josh Neufville to fellow promotees and Saturday afternoon’s opposition Bradford City, the fact AFC Wimbledon have managed to retain all of Ryan Johnson, Joe Lewis and Riley Harbottle has enabled the good times to roll on – certainly defensively speaking!

The centre back trio of Johnson, Lewis and Harbottle performed one of the most impressive feats of any promotion side last season when they managed a perfect 3-game shut out of their opponent’s in the League Two playoffs. Two 1-0 wins over Notts County followed by a third 1-0 win over Walsall meant AFC Wimbledon would ply their trade a division higher, and yet still sides have struggled to break them down. While AFC Wimbledon’s overall record of 3 wins and 2 losses is hardly earth-shattering in magnitude, the fact the Dons have conceded just 3 goals in 5 league games (and kept 2 clean sheets in that same period) highlights the fact that Johnnie Jackson’s men remain every bit as tough to beat in the present campaign. The addition of goalkeeper Neil Bishop, who has been in excellent form so far this season, will make it even harder for opposition sides to net with any frequency.

Luton Town were the first to score against AFC Wimbledon in the opening game of the season, a perceived mismatch per the oddsmakers at the time, but it took them a full 85 minutes to breach the Wimbledon backline – and even then it took an own goal from Johnson to send the promotion favourites home happy. Lincoln City would have no such luck in the next game, losing 2-0 after playing most of the game with 10 men, Matty Stevens converting a first half penalty for the Dons’ first goal in League One, while Nathan Asiimwe killed the game off on the 77th minute. AFC Wimbledon would then squeak past League Two money men Gillingham on penalties in the EFL Cup after a 1-1 draw, Antwoine Hackford grabbing Wimbledon’s only goal of the game, before Cardiff City replicated Luton Town’s feat of a 1-0 win over Johnnie Jackson’s men with an even later strike. Issak Davies needed the full 90 minutes +2 further to deflate inflict the Dons’ first home defeat of the season upon them. AFC Wimbledon bounced back with an impressive 2-0 win over Barnsley at home, Stevens and Hackford each doubling their accounts for the season, before a tough 2-1 defeat on the road at Reading meant Omar Bugiel’s first goal of the campaign was for nought – and that Wimbledon crashed out of the EFL Cup in the second round.

Now AFC Wimbledon must face a side arguably even more buoyant than themselves – a side that crushed Championship leaders Stoke City 3-0 on Tuesday night to continue their unbeaten start having also achieved promotion last season. Certainly the shackles will be out, but taming this City side has looked easier said than done, with only Northampton Town so far managing to keep a clean sheet – and even then, that was accomplished away from Valley Parade, a ground that still retains that ‘fortress’ feel after City won both home games already this season against Wycombe Wanderers and Luton Town.

Bad news for AFC Wimbledon comes in the form of Joe Lewis limping off in the 1-0 defeat against Cardiff City, their key defender having since missed both the Barnsley game and the EFL Cup defeat at Reading. The Dons will hope the ultra-influential centre back will be ready for action as Wimbledon visit Valley Parade, but should his name be missing from the team sheet on Saturday, that will be a huge boost for Graham Alexander’s men – and a massive blow for Johnnie Jackson’s outfit.

AFC Wimbledon 2 – 0 Barnsley


AFC Wimbledon 0 – 1 Cardiff City


Bradford City:
Bradford City’s convincing 3-0 win at Championship leaders Stoke City must be caveated with the fact that wasn’t Stoke City’s first XI by any means, but it shouldn’t remove the gloss from what remains an extremely impressive victory by an almost unfathomable margin. That Graham Alexander also rang the changes should negate any excuses Stoke City fans may have about the side they chose to put out, as the ever-dependable Brad Halliday capped his first outing with a finish of real quality after great work from the front trio of Tyreik Wright, George Lapslie and Will Swan had already set the tone for the Bantams on their path towards victory. Swan and Lapslie bagged a goal apiece either side of Halliday’s strike, and their tireless efforts were all too much for the Stoke City backline.

Swan, who now boasts 4 goals from 6 outings across both league and cup (of which just 3 were starts), in particular deserves immense recognition. His ruthless streak in front of goal is something Mansfield Town fans couldn’t have predicted when he made the move to Valley Parade in the Summer, but long may it continue for a player that deserves all of the fruits of his labours. George Lapslie, too, despite being a squad player in the eyes of Graham Alexander has continued his own extremely efficient stint at Bradford City. The attacking midfielder has now managed 4 strikes in just 8 starts (and 6 substitute appearances). 2 further assists total 6 direct goal involvements from just 14 appearances, an impressive tally for any player at any level – whether he will thus earn himself more game time remains to be seen, but with players like Bobby Pointon, Stephen Humphrys and Antoni Sarcevic all also starting the season very brightly indeed, Alexander must feel he has an embarrassment of riches at his disposal!

That might be the best thing about this Bradford City squad at present – those in the first XI seem to be doing a sterling job, while those behind them appear equally well motivated and all seem to be champing at the bit for more action. To say it’s “all good” at the moment isn’t much of an overstatement – 4th in the League One table, 2 Championship sides disposed of in the EFL Cup (a historic first), and with Valley Parade remaining a terrifying prospect for any side in League One this season, there haven’t been many better times than this to be a City fan. Echoes of the Phil Parkinson era? Very much so.

Now AFC Wimbledon will head to Valley Parade to try and spoil the party. Can City brush them aside as they did with two of last season’s playoff semi-finalists Wycombe Wanderers and Luton Town?

I wouldn’t write it off…

Stoke City 0 – 3 Bradford City [EFL Cup]


Peterborough United 1 – 1 Bradford City

 

Prediction:
AFC Wimbledon’s phenomenal defensive record is, in part, built on the back of the excellent Joe Lewis. His potential absence at Valley Parade could bolster the Bantams, or it could focus minds even further for AFC Wimbledon on keeping that clean sheet. AFC Wimbledon are, for all intents and purposes, masters of the defensive arts. They offer few glimpses to the opposition, and have proven they can do so when it really counts (like last season’s playoff campaign – see above). By this point, Johnnie Jackson knows what his side is good at, and has grabbed himself a real poacher in the excellent Matty Stevens, as well as a bit of flair and unpredictability in 21 year old Antwoine Hackford, a former Port Vale forward. Danilo Orsi, by now something of a lower league stalwart, also adds a bit of physicality, and the Wimbledon attack thus presents a bit of variety as well as packing a punch.

Like Bradford City, AFC Wimbledon are adept at hitting teams without seeing too much of the ball. Being somewhat direct, as well as clinical, while creating chances without needing masses and masses of possession is something both sides excel at, so it will be interesting to see which team ends up with most of the ball, and how exactly they utilise it. City’s highest possession stats came against Northampton Town in a dull 0-0 draw (47.1 %), while AFC Wimbledon’s (aside from playing 10 men Lincoln City) came against Gillingham in a 1-1 draw (49.1 %).

Factor in, also, that these sides have overseen 4 separate 0-0 draws from their last 7 meetings, and just 2 goals combined in their last 5 meetings, and this looks like it could be lacking in action for a change. Valley Parade, the site of some fantastic wins under Graham Alexander, could yet find itself bogged down by a scrappy and unconvincing game if both sides revert to type when faced with opposition that, like themselves, are probably better without the ball.

A 0-0 is absolutely on the cards here, but given just how electric Valley Parade has been of late, I feel the onus will definitely be on City to make things happen – and I think with AFC Wimbledon likely to invite them to try to do so. Couple this with Wimbledon’s so-so away form so far this season, and Bradford City might just sneak this.

The pick will be a 2-1 win for Bradford City.

Well, why not? City have won 3 times already by that same scoreline, while AFC Wimbledon have won a game and lost a game at 2-1 – both times against Reading! If City can grab an early goal, you can expect a retaliatory salvo sooner or later, but City will really have to make it happen once again in front of a bouncing Valley Parade.


I think they just might.

Final Score:
Bradford City 2 – 1 AFC Wimbledon