Preview: Bradford City vs. Doncaster Rovers - prediction, team news, lineups

The January fixture was postponed because of a frozen pitch in West Yorkshire.

Match preview

In-form Bradford are keen to continue the recent resurgence that has seen them win three on the trot and avoid defeat in four when they take to the field this week.

Victories over Wrexham (1-0), MK Dons (4-0) and Sutton (1-0) have lifted the Citizens, who had gone eight league games without maximum points until the recent run, and Graham Alexander's men seek a fourth win on the trot.

Sacking Mark Hughes is finally bearing fruit for the West Yorkshire outfit, whose sixth-place finish last term was followed by a disappointing start to 2023-24 in which Bradford sat 18th before the Welshman departed.

Bradford have risen three places since, still adrift of their ambition to end in the top seven spots, with eight points separating them from seventh-placed Gillingham.

However, Alexander's side have played two games fewer than the club occupying the final playoff spot, giving them motivation that ending seventh is not out of reach.

Beating Doncaster could take the Citizens as high as 10th, and rising five places should boost the home support in West Yorkshire before Tuesday's game.

Doncaster are not expected to give Bradford an easy outing, even if the away side are five places below the club they face midweek.

Saturday's battle of the in-form teams at Walsall saw Rovers lose for the first time in League Two since a 5-1 hammering by Stockport County on January 27.

Grant McCann's men are three places clear of the bottom two, but closer inspection shows a 12-point lead on Forest Green Rovers, pointing to an absence of immediate danger for the side in 20th heading into this week's game.

However, a winless run over this week's opponents should worry the travelling support, who have not seen their side claim maximum points in any domestic encounter against Bradford since a 1-0 success in West Yorkshire in April 2019 — a League One encounter.

Doncaster have lost their last three meetings with the Citizens, losing 1-0 in their League Two meeting last season, getting beat on their turf in December and suffering a 1-0 defeat in a Football League Trophy encounter on January 30 in West Yorkshire.

This points to the Rovers being underdogs on Tuesday, and it remains to be seen if they end the ongoing winless drought against Bradford.

Bradford City League Two form:

D

L

D

W

W

W

Bradford City form (all competitions):

W

D

W

W

W

L

Doncaster Rovers League Two form:

D

W

D

W

W

L

Team News

This is Bradford's first game in all competitions since February 21, and the home side have no reported injuries or suspensions to deal with.

Harrison Chapman, the match-winner in the cup meeting between these sides in January, hopes to make an impact either as a starter or substitute.

Jamie Sterry and Hakeeb Adelakun played for Doncaster against Walsall on Saturday despite seemingly picking up injuries in gameweek 35, pointing to starts for both on Tuesday.

Joe Ironside, whose 18 goal contributions lead the way for Rovers in 2023-24, should play a pivotal role for the away side in the rescheduled clash.

Bradford City possible starting lineup:

Walker; Tomkinson, Platt, Kelly; Halliday, Stubbs, Gilliead, Ridehalgh; Odour, Kavanagh; Cook

Doncaster Rovers possible starting lineup:

Lo-Tutala; Sterry, Anderson, Wood, Maxwell; Bailey, Craig; Hurst, Biggins, Adelakun; Ironside

We say: Bradford City 2-1 Doncaster Rovers

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