As they hunt for promotion from League Two, Bradford City are set to host Harrogate Town at the University of Bradford Stadium on Saturday.
The Bantams are in excellent form at the moment and will come into the game full of confidence, while the Sulphurites are without a win in their last four games.
Match preview
Graham Alexander's Bradford City are currently seventh in the fourth tier, and are part of an intense race for promotion in which just three points separate them from third-placed Notts County.
This means that the Bantams will have their sights set on an automatic jump up to League One, though they will have to bounce back from the loss they suffered last time out in the league that marred their near-perfect start to 2025.
Saturday's hosts were unable to respond to a first-half header from James Tilly when they were beaten 1-0 on the road by rivals AFC Wimbledon on February 1, and eventually succumbed to their first defeat since December 21.
Between those two losses, Alexander's side were in exceptional form - winning six and drawing just one of their seven League Two matches - and the Bantams seem to have put that result behind them after beating third-tier Rotherham United in the EFL Trophy in midweek.
This weekend, Bradford know that dropping points once more could see them fall out of the playoff spots with Salford City just two behind in eighth, and the boss will be demanding a strong performance.
Meanwhile, Simon Weaver's Harrogate Town moved seven points clear of 23rd-placed Morecambe after a hard-earned draw with promotion-chasing Crewe Alexandra last time out.
The Sulphurites may only be 20th in the table with just two league wins to their name in 2025, but the eight points they have taken from their last seven fixtures is more than they managed between late October and the turn of the year.
That being said, Saturday's visitors have only recorded three wins on the road in League Two in the last 12 months, and taking all three points against Bradford will be a tough challenge.
To make matters worse, Weaver's side have avoided defeat just twice from their eight most recent away games across all competitions, with a draw and a win either side of New Year's Day.
On the other hand, Town's last five defeats have all been decided by a margin of just one goal, and if they catch the hosts on an off-day then they could frustrate the promotion hopefuls.
Team News
Bradford are likely to be without left-sided defender Ciaran Kelly, who went off injured against Wimbledon, so expect Paul Huntington to take his place alongside Aden Baldwin and Jack Shepherd in the backline on Saturday.
Similarly, Lewis Richards was withdrawn with an injury in the first half of that game, and Tyreik Wright could start on the left flank this weekend.
Further forward, Antoni Sarcevic and Tommy Leigh should feature in supporting roles behind striker Calum Kavanagh.
As for Town, the strike partnership of Oliver Sanderson and Josh March was supported by Dean Cornelius and Ellis Taylor from wide areas most recently, though things might be due for a shakeup.
January signing Tom Cursons was the top scorer in the Northern Premier League with 21 goals prior to his move this winter, and after making a number of substitute appearances, the 23-year-old could make his first start against Bradford.
Bradford City possible starting lineup:
Walker; Baldwin, Shepherd, Huntington; Johnson, Pattison, Smallwood, Wright; Sarcevic, Kavanagh, Leigh
Harrogate Town possible starting lineup:
Belshaw; Sims, O'Connor, Moon, Bilongo; Cursons, Morris, Sutton, Taylor; Sanderson, March
We say: Bradford City 3-1 Harrogate Town
Bradford got back to winning ways last time out against higher-tier opposition and are likely to put in another strong performance this weekend.
The visitors may put up a fight but the Bantams should secure their 14th win of the season, motivated by the pressure to keep up with the pack in the race for promotion.
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