The Voice - Match preview #17: Bradford City vs Exeter City Saturday 29th November 2025 3:00pm

EFL League One Fixture #17
Saturday 29th November 2025 15:00
Bradford City (3rd) vs Exeter City (20th)
University of Bradford Stadium

Record:
Games Won: 16
Games Drawn: 14
Games Lost: 18

Last 5:
06 Feb 2021: Exeter City 3 – 2 Bradford City
07 Aug 2021: Exeter City 0 – 0 Bradford City
06 Nov 2021: Bradford City 1 – 1 Exeter City [FA Cup]
30 Nov 2021: Exeter City 2 – 1 Bradford City [FA Cup]
12 Feb 2022: Bradford City 0 – 1 Exeter City

Exeter City:
Exeter City seemed to get the run of the green as far as a controversial performance from referee Ruebyn Ricardo was concerned, being awarded a penalty either side of rejected appeals for opponents Leyton Orient. It didn’t change the outcome, however, as the Grecians slipped to their first defeat in 6 games across all competitions. Jayden Wareham’s first half conversion was cancelled out by an Idris El Mizouni second-bite-of-the-cherry style strike, before Tyreeq Bakinson wrapped up the 3 points for the home side with a cooly-taken side-footed volley from just inside the penalty area.

Both goals for Orient left questions to be answered for the Exeter City defence, but in truth the Exeter defence has been the least of manager Gary Caldwell’s concerns this season. Despite sitting 20th, just 1 point above the drop zone as it stands, Exeter City have got the joint 4th-meantest defence in the division having conceded just 17. Only Stevenage (11), Cardiff City (15) and Bolton Wanderers (15) have conceded fewer, with the majority of their issues coming up front. Having scored even fewer than they have let in (16), Exeter City are represent League One’s 4th-poorest attack. Only Port Vale (11), Northampton Town (13), and Doncaster Rovers (15) have scored fewer, a statistic made all the more astonishing when accounting for an early season 4-1 home win over Blackpool, as well as a late August 3-0 win over Peterborough United, also at home.

Hardly the greatest entertainers in the EFL, then, Exeter City do at least boast the consolation of continued participation in both the FA Cup and the EFL Trophy. A 2-0 away win over West Yorkshire outfit Halifax Town has earned a home tie against fellow League One outfit Wycombe Wanderers, with the prospect of a potential plum tie awaiting the winner in the third round. At the minute, that is the most appealing prospect on the horizon, with Exeter City struggling to keep their heads above the water following improved form from 21st place Peterborough United and 22nd place Blackpool – both now gaining fast, and potentially capable of overtaking the Devon-based side this weekend.

Staying up is the main aim for Gary Caldwell, then, and keeping an air of positivity around St James Park his current challenge. Caldwell praised Exeter City’s efforts against Leyton Orient pointing out his players “did so many things right”, and felt his side “gave it away rather than Orient [winning] it”. He feels that if Exeter City can put a good run together than anything is possible with such a congested League One table, with Exeter – despite the relegation zone looming large over their shoulder – are just 9 points off the playoffs.

Optimistic? Indeed, but in Northern Ireland international Josh Magennis (4) and Jayden Wareham (5), Caldwell might still believe he has the strike force to make a go of things this season. One thing is for sure, he will need the rest of the team to start chipping in goals, as at the moment, defender Jack Fitzwater (1) is the only non-forward to have registered a goal… that simply has to change if Exeter City are to start climbing the table.

Leyton Orient 2 – 1 Exeter City


Exeter City 1 – 1 Wigan Athletic


Bradford City:
The doom and gloom of last weekend’s predicted 4-1 defeat at Bolton Wanderers never materialised, thankfully, and City came away with a highly creditable point against the best-performing ‘Home’ side in the division – a side they managed to keep a clean sheet against, again in spite of Bolton topping the xG table to boot. With City now boasting 2 wins, 5 draws and just 1 defeat away from home this season, the spectre of last season’s away day blues appears to have been well-and-truly exorcised. At home, City have won 5, drawn 2, and (again) lost just 1 game, but with no wins in SEVEN games across both league and cup, and with no league win since September 27 (over two months ago come Saturday afternoon), the Bantams are in danger of trying to live on past glories.

With the table getting more and more congested, City are now just 3 points off 7th – and falling outside the playoffs at this stage would be unthinkable given the start Graham Alexander’s men have made. Still, that shows how competitive League One is this season, with pretty anybody being capable of taking a point or 3 from anyone else. City’s first home league defeat of the season came against Burton Albion, a side whose statistics bear a certain resemblance to Exeter City’s own, despite now sitting 5 points and 6 places above them. The Bantams simply cannot afford to lend another lowly team a helping hand, especially amid a run of games against the division’s poorest performers. Plymouth Argyle (23rd) and Port Vale (24th) are next up, with Reading (18th) just around the corner, all games City must be looking to win if they are to maintain their present promotion push.

City welcomed back Matt Pennington at the Toughsheet Stadium last weekend, but he limped off injured after just 48 minutes, while the ineffective Will Swan and Jenson Metcalfe were both withdrawn at half time. Better news came in the form of the return of Aden Baldwin in for the injured Pennington, while both Sarcevic and Humphrys had a positive impact on the game after replaced the aforementioned Swan and Metcalfe. Andy Cook did not come off the bench, but there is a sense City are inching ever closer to full fitness despite Pennington’s injury, an extremely welcome state of affairs after injuries effectively derailed the Bantams’ form.

Now, City must call upon the likes of Pointon, Humphrys, and Sarcevic, as well as the defensive playmaker Baldwin, to start eking out results. It doesn’t matter the score – the focus now is getting the points ticking over once again.

Bolton Wanderers 0 – 0 Bradford City


Bradford City 1 – 2 Burton Albion


Prediction:
A fixture that doesn’t promise a glut of goals from other side, Exeter’s mean defence/mediocre attack combination is something that has presented City problems on more than 1 occasion this season. Perhaps it’s the lack of free-flowing attacking coming from either end (such is in the latter stages against Bolton), or perhaps it’s that City’s tactics are more easily stifled by cautious outfits, but the Bantams simply can’t afford to keep dropping points against sides in the bottom half. There is a run of such fixtures ahead, and victory here would allay fears that City are better suited to more attack-minded opposition.

Bradford City do have players with the ability to pick the lock of a stubborn defence, and with players like Cook waiting in the wings, they also have a potential Plan B. What continues to be a concern is the lack of a regular goalscorer, at least over the past 6-7 games. Someone needs to step up, be it Will Swan, Stephen Humphrys or that man Andy Cook, or else the burden of responsibility continues to fall upon the likes of Pointon, Sarcevic and Neufville. While it’s a comfort that City can score from a variety of positions this season, unlike Exeter City, it has been some time now since City led twice at home to Barnsley, a game they eventually drew 2-2.

It stands to reason that Graham Alexander’s men will need a couple of goals to get over the line on Saturday, with Exeter City perhaps unlikely to score more than once – and Graham Alexander has to figure out a way to make that happen. As it is, I think he will, and I can see City going on an improved run of form with evermore players returning from injury and bolstering the ranks.

A late winner from a substitute forward would be more than enough here – all that matters is getting the 3 points and moving on to face the current bottom 2 in the division, both away from home, where wins rather than draws are likely needed to keep City in the top 2 or 3. That said, City haven’t beaten Exeter City in any of their last 6 attempts, and have just won just 1 in their past 10 meetings. That’s a very unwelcome omen for a City side that simply must resume winning ways in a division ready to swallow up any side on an extended poor run of form. Just as Exeter manager Caldwell is optimistically eyeing the play offs, the speed with which City could potentially sink would leave fans’ heads spinning…

Final Score:
Bradford City 2 – 1 Exeter City