- Form: Rochdale are unbeaten in their last three (D1, W2) having held York City to a 1-1 draw, beaten Scunthorpe United 2-1 in the National League and seen off Tranmere Rovers 3-2 away in the EFL Cup.
- Recent form: Bradford City's last five results read: W2, D1, L2.
- Head-to-head: The hosts have failed to win their last two against Rochdale, giving the visitors the edge in the head-to-head record.
Battling Shakey will test The Bantams
Odds and expectations
Bradford City are the clear favorites to win on Saturday afternoon at 1.42, but Rochdale will make life tough for their hosts in what should be a very competitive game at The University of Bradford Stadium.
The 6.25 on the visitors is way too high for the away team that have been flying in the early stages of the season, and the 4.7 on the draw may also have some value if Rochdale can deal with the early onslaught that is likely to come their way from the Bantams.
Form and momentum
Graham Alexander's men have gone a little better since bouncing back from their 0-1 home defeat against Bolton Wanderers on the opening day of the League One season.
They beat Preston North End 3-2 in a home friendly last week and their attack looks to have snapped, but two wins, one draw and two defeats from their last five across all competitions isn't a full-scale surge.
Rochdale have been in much more convincing form in the opening weeks of the 2026/27 campaign.
The old bouncers are now not unbeaten in their last ten across all competitions (W6, D3, L1), and they look much more likely to secure a result against the higher-level opposition than Bradford do at this stage of the new season.
Ian Watson's team can be flexible and works on possession, and Rochdale's players have a feel for the flow of the game that should keep them in the game.
Rochdale’s road form is good
Bradford are averaging 1.00 goals scored and conceded per home game across all competitions, while Rochdale's respective stats away are 1.80 and 1.20.
That suggests that the hosts will have the edge if this game stays the course, but there's enough evidence to suggest that Rochdale can make this closer than the market expects.
Bradford have won two, drawn two and lost two of their six home games across all competitions, so Valley Parade hasn't been a fortress for The Bantams, who have also failed to win their last two at home against Rochdale.
A clash of styles often leads to some entertainment and that should be the case here, as Alexander's 3-4-2-1 sets up to play direct and on the turn while Watson's men are possession based and patient.
- Kayden Jackson has been Bradford's top goal scorer so far with two goals in five appearances, and the onus will be on him to finish off chances if the opportunity arises this weekend.
- However, Rochdale's Emmanuel Dieseruvwe has also been in good goalscoring form with two in five, while Rochdale scored six in total during that period.
- We're confident that Rochdale's momentum, steel and away form – unbeaten in three, W2, D1, L0 – can make this a tricky task for the home side.
