Match Previews

Match Preview | Bristol Rovers v Cambridge United

21st August

Bristol Rovers v Cambridge United
Sky Bet League Two, The Memorial Stadium, Saturday 23 August 2025, 3pm KO

Bristol Rovers will face off against Cambridge United in Sky Bet League Two at The Memorial Stadium this Saturday.

The match comes four days after the Gas gained a point in their goalless draw against Oldham Athletic. The Pirates dominated their chances throughout the game. Mathew Hudson blocked Ruel Sotiriou’s close-range attempt in the first half, and Alfie Kilgour’s 58th-minute header was cleared off the line before Jack Sparkes smacked the bar with a late free-kick

The Gas will likely gain momentum from this clash due to their controlled display and the fact that they kept their first clean sheet of the season, with Luke Southwood hardly tested in Rovers' goal. Before the draw, Darrell Clarke's men had lost their last three fixtures in the fourth tier, suffering a 3-1 loss against Chesterfield last Saturday, with Isaac Hutchinson scoring an early second-half equaliser, but falling victim to Kyle McFadzean and Armando Dobra’s later goals.

Cambridge United walked away with three points against Colchester on Tuesday, with a free kick from James Brophy in the 45th minute and a header into the net from Mamadou Jobe two minutes later, turning the score around.

Tickets...

Tickets are still available for our fixture at home to Cambridge!

A streamlined pricing structure means a single price band is now operating at Bristol Rovers for the 2025/26 Sky Bet League Two season, with Early Bird pricing available for online purchases up until the start of kick-off!

Get all the information about the pricing structure here!

Tickets purchased in person at our Matchday Ticket Office will include a minor price increase of two pounds across the board, implemented to encourage supporters to purchase tickets in advance and help the Club to forecast required staffing and stewarding appropriately.

Get your tickets now here!

Opposition…

This is Cambridge United’s first time in Sky Bet League Two since their promotion to Sky Bet League One in the 2020/21 season. The U’s suffered a relegation in the 2024/25 season, finishing 23rd in the third tier with 38 points.

They have had a bright start to the campaign with consistent results. The U's started their season with a 1-0 victory against Cheltenham Town; Louis Appéré’s right foot guided the ball from a close range to the centre of the net. They are in ninth position with two wins, one draw and one defeat, with their only loss coming against Swindon Town in a five-goal thriller.

Cambridge have also advanced to the second round of the Carabao Cup, defeating the Gas 2-0, with a left-footed strike outside the box from Louis Appéré and Ryan Loft securing the win with a header crossed over from James Gibbons. The U’s will battle Sky Bet Championship side Charlton Athletic on Tuesday 26 August, in the second round of the competition.

Since beating Rovers, Cambridge have added to their attacking ranks, signing Kylian Kouassi on a season-long loan from Blackpool. He was on loan at Salford City last term, where he scored three times in 27 outings in Sky Bet League Two.

Previous Meetings...

As mentioned, Rovers last met with Cambridge United last Tuesday, for their Carabao Cup clash, suffering a 2-0 loss, due to Appéré’s left-footed shot and Loft’s header.

Before their previous battle, Rovers last played Cambridge in January, in a Sky Bet League One fixture, with the Gas winning 1-0, thanks to Luke Thomas’ close-range header finding the bottom corner.

The Pirates also won the last league clash at The Mem, with Promise Omochere scoring his first two goals for the Gas in a 2-0 triumph.