Latics travel to Valley Parade again this weekend as they take on Bradford City for the fourth time this season (3pm KO).
Keith Curle was denied his first win as Oldham boss courtesy of 92nd minute equaliser for Scunthorpe United last time out.
Form Guide
Bradford City are amongst the form sides in the division, but their results have slightly dipped in the last few weeks.
The Bantams have won none of their last three with the last two both ending in defeat.
However, prior to this blip, Bradford had been in fine form, losing just one of their last 14. A run that moved them away from the relegation fight and into midtable with a view on potentially catching the top seven.
Latics’ task is made even harder due to their impressive home form. Bradford have not lost at Valley Parade this calendar year and their last defeat on home turf came way back on the 5th of December against Carlisle United.
The Bantams’ last six:
- Carlisle United 3-1 Bradford City
- Newport County 2-1 Bradford City
- Bradford City 1-1 Bolton Wanderers
- Bradford City 1-0 Mansfield Town
- Walsall 1-2 Bradford City
- Bradford City 1-0 Leyton Orient
Head-to-Head
Meetings: 115
Latics wins: 48
Bradford wins: 34
Draws: 33
For: 174
Against: 143
Latics have played Bradford three times already this season and boast an impressive 100% record, with both sides being each others most frequent opponents.
The last time they met was at Boundary Park in December. Goals from Dylan Bahamboula and Carl Piergianni put Oldham two up inside the first half hour and a second-half strike from Davis Keillor-Dunn made sure of the points.
City did get a goal back through Paudie O’Connor but thankfully his 85th minute goal proved to be just a consolation.
The two other times they have met this campaign were in Yorkshire with Latics winning 3-1 in the EFL Trophy and 2-1 in the FA Cup.
Team News
It looks like Zak Dearnley, George Blackwood and Marcus Barnes are out of action for an extended period with injuries.
Cameron Borthwick-Jackson is still battling a recent knock but Harry Clarke has now returned from his parent club after treatment for his injury and is close to a return.
Ben Garrity and Sido Jombati are working hard to regain fitness and get back in the matchday squad, whilst goalkeeper Ian Lawlor is out injured, with emergency loan Laurie Walker expected to be extended.
Familiar Face
Former Latics striker Danny Rowe has had a great start to his life as a Bradford City player since making the move from Boundary Park.
Rowe signed for the Bantams from Latics in the January transfer window and both sides will be very aware of the qualities he possesses.
As an Oldham player, Rowe scored 11 times in 32 games after he joined from AFC Fylde the year previous.
Prior to arriving at Boundary Park, Rowe had a phenomenal record in non-league with AFC Fylde where he scored over 150 times for the club.
Since signing for Bradford City, he has scored four goals in his first 11 games for the club and will no doubt be hoping to cause Latics some problems at Valley Parade.
In The Dugout
Mark Trueman and Conor Sellars are joint managers at Bradford City.
The pair took over initially on a temporary basis in December following the dismissal of Stuart McCall but were awarded a more permanent role due to impressive form.
Trueman, 28, started his youth playing career with Bradford City but played all of his senior football in non-league and has previous coaching experience in the youth setup at Halifax Town.
Sellars, 29, enjoyed a playing career in the lower divisions of Portugal as well as in Iceland and non-league in England.
The pair have previously worked together as youth coaches with the Bantams.
The turnaround in Bradford’s fortunes since the pair took over has not gone unnoticed and they were nominated for the February Manager of the Month award.
The Bantams were 22nd when they took over and they now sit in a much more comfortable 13th position.
Stadium
Bradford play at the Utilita Energy Stadium also known better as Valley Parade.
Capacity: 25,136
Built in: 1886
Record Attendance: 39,146 vs. Burnley in 1911.
Has also hosted: Mannignham RFC (1886-1903), Bradford Park Avenue (1973-74), Bradford Bulls (2001-2002).
Match Officials
The referee in charge is Andy Haines.
He has taken charge of 24 games in this campaign handing out 55 bookings and four red cards.
The last fixture he officiated involving Latics was in November 2019 in a 5-2 defeat away at Fleetwood Town in the EFL Trophy.
His assistants are Geoffrey Russell and Richard Wigglesworth with Graham Salisbury as the Fourth Official.
Sky Bet Odds
Bradford are 19/20 favourites to pick up their first win over Oldham this season whilst Latics are 13/5 to claim their fourth victory over the Bantams in this campaign.
12/5 is the price for the draw.
A repeat of Oldham’s 3-1 win last time out is 28/1.
Please gamble responsibly by clicking here. For more information visit: www.begambleaware.org
How To Follow The Game
Because the game is classed as behind-closed-doors, supporters can tune into a live match stream with commentary available for all subscribers on iFollow Latics, as Roy Butterworth and Michael Brown talk you through the action.
This match is available as a live stream for the fee of £10 by clicking here.
In the current environment, there is a greater dependence on match streaming than ever before.
As a result iFollow generates one of the only revenue streams available to clubs through these financial challenges.
Piracy - and illegal streaming of matches - does not only carry the risk of potential criminal action, but also has a greater financial impact on clubs while supporters are unable to attend matches.
The EFL's campaign would like to not only convey the message that piracy is immoral and illegal, but that it is also financially damaging club's across the divisions.
For more information on the campaign and iFollow, click here.
Alternatively, supporters can also follow the game with live updates on the club's official Twitter account: @OfficialOAFC.