Match report
Bradford brush aside Rochdale to advance in League Cup
Bradford eased into the next round of the League Cup with a 2-0 win over Rochdale at Valley Parade. Will Swan broke the deadlock in first-half stoppage time, and Aden Baldwin doubled the advantage after the break to settle the Round of 128 tie comfortably in the home side's favour.
AI-assisted match report written from official match data.
Swan's finish just before the interval, in the 45+1st minute, gave Bradford a slender lead to take into the second half. Rochdale could not find a response, and the game was put beyond them in the 67th minute when Baldwin converted after being set up by Callum Connolly, making it 2-0.
Bradford dominated territory and chances throughout, registering 21 shots to Rochdale's nine and forcing nine efforts on target compared with just two for the visitors. Rochdale, who picked up two yellow cards to Bradford's none, offered little going forward as their opponents controlled the tie despite finishing with less of the ball, at 48 percent possession.
Baldwin backed up his goal with a rating of 7.9, matching Josh Neufville as Bradford's top performer on the night.
Bradford's superiority was best reflected in the shot count, outshooting Rochdale 21 to nine over the match.
Bradford beat Rochdale 2–0 (half-time 1–0).
Bradford met Rochdale in the League Cup (Round of 128). Kick-off was Saturday, 8 August 2026, 14:00 UTC at Valley Parade. Referee: Declan Brown.
Team pages: Bradford · Rochdale · League Cup
Key moments
- 45+1' Goal: Will Swan — 1–0
- 67' Goal: Aden Baldwin (assist: Callum Connolly) — 2–0
Starting line-ups
Bradford (3-4-2-1)
Rochdale (4-2-3-1)
Pre-match read
Home on 192 days rest; Away on 7
Model-generated pre-match read. Not betting advice.
About this match
On this page: the Bradford vs Rochdale final score and result, who scored, starting lineups, match stats and the full match report from this League Cup fixture.
- Who scored and when — a goal-by-goal timeline of the match.
- Match stats — possession, shots, expected goals (xG), corners and cards.
- Starting lineups and player ratings for both teams.
- Head-to-head record and recent form for both sides.
The full match report above covers the goals, key moments and stats. Explore more on the Bradford and Rochdale team pages or the League Cup page.
Quick answers
›What was the final score of Bradford vs Rochdale?
Bradford beat Rochdale 2–0 (half-time 1–0).
›Who scored in Bradford vs Rochdale?
Will Swan (45+1') for Bradford; Aden Baldwin (67') for Bradford.
›Where can I watch Bradford vs Rochdale highlights?
This page carries the full match report, stats and lineups for Bradford vs Rochdale; goal clips are added as soon as official highlights are available.