League One high-fliers Bradford City travel to the bet365 Stadium to take on Championship outfit Stoke City in the Carabao Cup second round.
EFL Cup
Our Three Predictions For Stoke City vs Bradford City
- First Prediction: Stoke City To Win – 3/4
- Second Prediction: Both Teams To Score – 17/25
- Third Prediction: Over 2.5 Goals – 3/4
First Prediction For Stoke City vs Bradford City – Stoke City To Win – 3/4
After suffering relegation from the Premier League in 2018, Stoke have found themselves at somewhat of a crossroads. Seven successive bottom half finishes in the Championship have seen managers come and go, but Mark Robins appears to have brought the good times back to the bet365 Stadium. Although the season is still in its early stages, the Potters sit top of the second tier after three games and head into their Carabao Cup second round tie with Bradford City on the back of an excellent 2-1 away victory over one of the promotion favourites Southampton.
Similarly, Bradford have also enjoyed an excellent start to the campaign and have been one of the standout teams in League One thus far. Having only achieved promotion from League Two in May, this season was about consolidating their position in the third tier, but they may now set their ambitions higher after embarking on a six game unbeaten run in all competitions. They dispatched Championship opposition in the previous round when they produced an excellent 2-1 victory over Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park. Still, despite Stoke expected to rotate ahead of the visit of West Bromwich Albion next weekend, the Bantams are the underdogs. Expect a narrow home win.
Second Prediction For Stoke City vs Bradford City – Both Teams To Score – 17/25
Stoke have scored eight goals in their three Championship outings so far this season, but have conceded in two. They did draw a black against League Two’s Walsall in the first round, eventually needing penalties to overcome their West Midlands-based opposition. Still, Bradford offer a much sterner test than the Saddlers and they will need to be at their best to progress to the third round.
The Bantams have taken to the third tier well and may look to field a stronger team in order to boost their chances of a lucrative third round tie. Although unbeaten in all six of their games this season, they have kept just one clean sheet, which came when they drew 0-0 with Northampton Town earlier this month. Graham Alexander will be confident that his team have enough fire power to find the back of the net. However, all signs point to Stoke also breaching their back line, which could make for an open game.
Third Prediction For Stoke City vs Bradford City – Over 2.5 Goals – 3/4
If we take each team’s league form into account, this tip seems a banker. All three of Stoke’s games thus far have produced three or more goals, with 3-1, 3-0 and 2-1 wins over Derby County, Sheffield Wednesday and Southampton respectively. The only blip on their record is their first round clash against Walsall, which finished 0-0 after 90 minutes before the Potters progressed on penalties.
Bradford six outings this season have seen this market come in on four occasions, including their first round win over Blackburn. Winning 2-1 at Ewood Park, they produced identical results over Wycombe Wanderers, Luton Town and Stockport County to show that they may have a say in the League One promotion race. They do head into this fixture on the back of a 1-1 draw against struggling Peterborough United, although even an under strength Stoke side will test their defensive line.
Best Odds For Stoke City vs Bradford City
| Bookmaker | Stoke City | Draw | Bradford City |
| MyriadPlay | 3/4 | 14/5 | 29/10 |
| Gentleman Jim | 8/11 | 14/5 | 3/1 |
| Betarno | 77/100 | 3/1 | 14/5 |
Full Preview of the Game: Last Results and Head-To-Head
Stoke fans will be encouraged by their early season displays and may have ambitiously set their sights on a top six finish. That will be some achievement after seven consecutive bottom half finishes, but it is fair to say that there is an optimism around the bet365 Stadium that hasn’t been seen for some time. They opened their account with a 3-1 win over Derby County before a much-rotated team saw them edge past League Two outfit Walsall on penalties in the Carabao Cup first round. Mark Robins restored his preferred lineup for the trip to Sheffield Wednesday, which saw his side run out comfortable 3-0 winners. Their most impressive display of the campaign came on Saturday, when they travelled to St Mary’s to take on a Southampton side expected to push for the Championship title. Despite being down to 10 men for the majority of the second half, they ran out 2-1 winners to maintain their spot at the top of the Championship.
Bradford ended their six season stay in League Two last season, returning to the third tier for the first time since 2019. A summer of smart recruitment has seen them start the campaign in remarkable fashion, and they currently sit fourth in the division after five games. They set their stall out in the opening game with a 2-1 win over Wycombe Wanderers before an excellent victory by the same scoreline against Championship outfit Blackburn Rovers in the Carabao Cup first round. A 0-0 draw with struggling Northampton Town showed them how tough League One can be, but they recovered with a pair of remarkable 2-1 wins over two of the promotion favourites Luton Town and Stockport County. However, they conceded a late equaliser against Peterborough United on Saturday to drop two points.
This is the first meeting between the pair in 21 years, when Bradford were plying their trade in the then Division 1 (now Championship). Stoke won both meetings that season, with the Bantams last beating the Staffordshire-based side on Boxing Day in 2002. However, they have never won at the bet365 Stadium, with their last win on the Potters home turf coming in 1987, when they were based at the Victoria Ground. Overall, the two sides have met 41 times, with Stoke winning 19, Bradford 13 whilst nine have ended in a draw.
Confrontation
Where To Watch Stoke City vs Bradford City
Where can I watch this game, either in person or on TV?
- Location: bet365 Stadium, Stanley Matthews Way, Stoke-on-Trent, ST4 4EG
- Date: August 26th, 2025
- TV Channel: Sky Sports +
Probable Lineups For Stoke City vs Bradford City
Predicted Stoke City Lineup
- Lineup: Bonham; Mears, Phillips, Gibson, Bocat; Lawal, Seko; Manhoef, Donley, Fawumni; Bozenik
- Injured/Suspended: Mubama, Gallagher, Cisse
- Manager: Mark Robins
Predicted Bradford City Lineup
- Lineup: Walker; Baldwin, Wright, Kelly; Neufville, Power, Touray; Metcalfe; Lapsile, Wright; Swan
- Injured/Suspended: Byrne, Wright, Kavanagh, Cook
- Manager: Graham Alexander
