Unbeaten Mansfield Town Play Host To Mid-Table Bradford City
After yet another league victory and securing a place in the Third Round of the Carabao Cup, the Stags take on the Bantams at the One Call Stadium as Nigel Clough’s side look to keep their unbeaten run at home and in all competitions intact.
The amber and blues have been on red-hot form so far this season, scoring in every single fixture this season and currently boast a seven-game unbeaten run in all competitions.
On the other hand, Bradford City have had a mix run of form from their opening five league games as they currently occupy 12th place in the League Two table.
The two sides head into this weekend’s clash on the back of wins last time out and will be looking to continue their momentum to put them in the promotion picture early on.
Stags Continue Unbeaten Run
After back-to-back draws against Doncaster Rovers and Grimsby Town, Mansfield Town went into the clash against Stockport County with their unbeaten home and league record on the line.
The game started off badly for the hosts as the Hatters took the lead in the sixth minute through Aston Villa loanee Louie Barry opened the scoring.
Eight minutes later, the Stags were able to respond as Stephen Quinn’s fizzed ball found the outstretched foot of George Maris who fired the ball past Ben Hinchliffe in the Stockport net.
Five minutes before the half-hour mark, Fraser Horsfall put the away side in front once again as his towering header found the back of the net.
A stunning second-half display from the Stags saw Davis Keillor-Dunn score twice as Clough’s side ran out 3-2 victors to maintain their unbeaten record.
in midweek, Mansfield Town punched their ticket to the Third Round of the Carabao Cup as they beat Sheffield Wednesday 5-4 on penalties to advance to the next round of the competition and maintain their 100% record in all competitions so far this season.
Bantams Back On Track With A Win
Following a 1-1 draw against Stockport and a 3-0 loss against Morecambe, Mark Hughes’ Bantams went into last weekend’s game against Crewe Alexandra slightly low on confidence.
Having only scored three goals and conceded six, Bradford needed a positive result to keep up with the early front runners in the promotion race.
A moment of brilliance from Jamie Walker in the 43rd minute was enough to see the Bantams over the line as the Yorkshire-based outfit ran out 1-0 victors to move into the top half of the table.
A loss could have spelled trouble for Hughes’ side as they would have sat a point above the relegation zone but instead are two points off the Stags in the final Play-Off place.
Similarly to the Stags, the Bantams had to endure a penalty shootout for a place in Round Three of the Carabao Cup following a 1-1 draw against Wrexham in normal time. The Yorkshire-based outfit ran out 4-3 winners in spot kicks to set up a home tie against Middlesbrough in the next round.
Form Guide
In the league table, the two sides are separated by only two points as the Stags sit seventh with the Bantams closing the top half of the table in 12th place.
Both sides have won twice in their last five league matches but it is Mansfield’s unbeaten run that has them above Bradford with the amber and blues’ three draws compared to the Bantams’ one draw and two losses.
The Stags are the league’s fifth-highest goalscorers with 11 goals compared to their opposition’s figure of only four goals so far this term.
In terms of goals conceded, Bradford’s number of six is less than Mansfield’s of seven highlighting issues at the back for both sides.
Head-To-Head
In the all-time League Two head-to-head, the Bantams hold the upper hand boasting five wins compared to the Stags’ three with the other two games ending in draws.
With 25 goals in the last 10 fixtures between the two sides, an average of 2.5 goals per game, expect some goals in the clash as Bantams forward Andy Cook looks to haunt his old club once again.
A clean sheet has been achieved five times from the previous 10 fixtures played between the two sides with the last one coming in February 2022 where Mansfield ran 2-0 victors over Bradford at Valley Parade.
Mansfield will also look to break a poor run of run against the Bantams at the One Call Stadium as Nigel Clough’s side have failed to beat the Yorkshire-based side at home in the last three attempts.
A clash between two early-season promotion favourites will look to spark fireworks as an unbeaten record is on the line.
