Sheffield United welcome Bolton Wanderers to Bramall Lane on September 1, 2026, in a Championship fixture that sees the Blades as strong favourites. Despite a somewhat inconsistent league campaign last season, reflected in their 39% win rate and even goals for and against record (66 scored, 66 conceded), United have shown recent flashes of good form, winning three of their last five outings. Their historical dominance over Bolton is also clear, having won four of the last five head-to-head encounters, including two convincing 3-0 and 2-0 victories.
Bolton, in contrast, are still finding their feet in the new season, with a mixed start of one win and one loss from two games, scoring two but conceding five. This early fragility, combined with their poor record against United, makes for a challenging trip. The home side's 45% win probability, mirroring the draw probability, suggests a cautious approach might be on the cards for Bolton. Watch for Sheffield United to leverage their home advantage and recent momentum, while Bolton will need a disciplined defensive display to avoid another heavy defeat.
1. Jack Bonham, 5. Lewis Brunt, 3. Chris Forino, 14. Akin Famewo, 25. Max Conway, 8. Josh Sheehan, 21. Ethan Erhahon, 16. Samuel Iling Junior, 45. John McAtee, 11. Thierry Gale, 10. Sam Dalby
Match events
1' Goal Normal Goal — X. Simons (Bolton)
4' Goal Normal Goal — J. Tanganga (Sheffield Utd) (assists: S. Peck)
39' Card Yellow Card — G. Larrazabal (Bolton)
46' subst Substitution 1 — G. Larrazabal (Bolton) (assists: L. Brunt)
49' Card Yellow Card — J. McAtee (Bolton)
61' subst Substitution 1 — J. Riedewald (Sheffield Utd) (assists: K. Phillips)
61' subst Substitution 2 — T. Campbell (Sheffield Utd) (assists: T. Cannon)
62' subst Substitution 3 — S. Peck (Sheffield Utd) (assists: O. Arblaster)
67' Goal Normal Goal — S. Dalby (Bolton) (assists: T. Gale)
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