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

sportsmole.co.uk, 8 February 2024, 21:42
Wrexham will be aiming to end their losing streak when they host Bradford City at Racecourse Ground on Saturday.

The visitors, meanwhile, are also on a winless streak in League Two, having failed to win any of their last eight league matches.

Match preview

Wrexham's red-hot start to the year has fizzled out, with three consecutive defeats across all competitions.

The Red Dragons stormed out of the gates with three straight wins in January, but their form has nosedived since then.

They suffered a demoralizing 4-1 defeat that knocked them out of the FA Cup against Blackburn Rovers, followed by a 3-1 loss to Salford City last time out.

These setbacks have seen Phil Parkinson's men slip to fourth in League Two, six points behind leaders Stockport County, having played fewer games than their rivals.

With cup commitments now a distant memory, Wrexham can fully focus on achieving their dream of consecutive promotions, following their triumph in the National League playoffs last season.

Parkinson and his squad should be confident, facing an opponent in disarray. However, history paints a worrying picture, with Wrexham having only one victory against Bradford in their last 12 meetings, drawing four and losing seven.

Bradford City's woes are even deeper, dragging them into mediocrity with eight winless League Two matches, last of which was a goalless draw against Wimbledon.

Their playoff disappointment last season, where they were edged out by Carlisle United, seems to have carried over, leaving them languishing in 18th place, seven points behind the coveted top-seven positions.

Graham Alexander's team have mustered only two wins since the new year, both coming in the EFL Cup Trophy against Derby County and Doncaster Rovers.

The Bantams are back on the road where their recent form is equally concerning, with no wins in their last three trips, recording two defeats and a draw.

Despite their struggles, Bradford can draw some confidence from their strong historical record at the Racecourse Ground, boasting four wins in their last six visits.

Nevertheless, Alexander's men will need a monumental turnaround to overcome their current slump and snatch points from a better-placed Wrexham outfit.

Wrexham League Two form:

W

L

W

W

L

L

Wrexham form (all competitions):

W

W

W

L

L

L

Bradford City League Two form:

L

L

D

D

L

D

Bradford City form (all competitions):

W

D

D

L

W

D

Team News

Wrexham come into this match with a clean bill of health, giving manager Phil Parkinson a wealth of options to choose from.

Sam Dalby, who has directly contributed to goals in the last two matches, is likely to start in attack alongside Paul Mullin.

Bradford City are expected to field a similar team to the one that earned a point against Wimbledon last time out, meaning Ciaran Kelly, Matthew Platt, and American Jonathan Tomkinson should form the centre-back trio.

Jake Young, who has 16 goals in 27 league appearances this season, is expected to lead the line once again.

Wrexham possible starting lineup:

Okonkwo; Tunnicliffe, Tozer, Hayden; Barnett, Cannon, Evans, Lee, McClean; Dalby, Mullin

Bradford City possible starting lineup:

Walker; Tomkinson, Platt, Kelly; Halliday, McDonald, Smallwood, Richards; Chapman, Gilliead, Young

We say: Wrexham 1-0 Bradford City

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PSV PSV
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Waalwijk Waalwijk
Sun 19 May, 16:00
A
Inter Inter
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Lazio Lazio