Predicting all 12 EFL League One opening weekend results | OneFootball

Football League World predicts the opening weekend's results in League One

League One kicks off this Saturday, and sides across the third tier will want to begin the campaign on the right note.

Indeed, clubs began the 2026/27 campaign rather unconventionally with an EFL Cup matchup, and the majority of managers used the competition's first round as a way to get more minutes into their starters' legs.

That also means that we can get a little extra insight into how each team may be set to perform over the next nine months, albeit there's still plenty of player movement to come between now and the transfer window's closure on September 1.

Nevertheless, it's helped build anticipation ahead of this weekend's league curtain-raisers, and here's how Football League World feels the games will play out.

Reading 1-2 Luton Town

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There are plenty of intriguing matchups across the third tier's opening weekend. Arguably, the game of gameweek one takes place at the Select Car Leasing Stadium at 12:30.

Reading and Luton Town were both in the play-off conversation last season, and they'll believe they can be in that conversation again this year, too, but Jack Wilshere's Hatters may have a little too much for the Royals this weekend.

Leam Richardson's side were tested by League One new-boys Bromley in the EFL Cup on Saturday, and the return of Jack Marriott off the bench there indicates that he's being saved for the opening day.

He'll open his account for the season, but a Luton side who hardly left first gear in their cup win against Gillingham will turn things around. Gideon Kodua will net his second in as many games, with Jordan Clark bagging the winning goal late on to send the travelling fans home happy.

Oxford United 0-1 MK Dons

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Two sides who were knocked out of the EFL Cup last weekend look to bounce back here, with recently relegated Oxford United taking on newly promoted MK Dons.

There's a lot of precarity surrounding Oxford. The ongoing transfer embargo is preventing them from bringing in reinforcements. There's every potential that some of Aaron Ramsey's Championship-quality players may depart in the coming weeks, with no ability to replace them.

MK Dons, on the other hand, have spent the summer bringing in players some may believe could play in the second tier, but are definitely among the better League One players in their position.

Paul Warne's side were dismantled by Norwich City on Saturday, but that may reflect more on the attacking quality of the Canaries. Oxford didn't offer much against Leyton Orient, though, so I don't see them testing MK much here, despite them being at home.

Sam Nombe scoring on his league debut should be enough for a winning start.

Notts County 1-1 Leicester City

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The final lunchtime kick-off sees another newly promoted side take on a recently relegated one, as League One football returns to Meadow Lane, seeing Notts County play host to Leicester City - many people's title favourites.

Last weekend, Leicester struggled to create chances from open play at home against League Two opposition in Northampton Town, winning 1-0 via a corner. Meanwhile, Martin Paterson's side kept 26% possession and restricted Burnley to just 0.85 expected goals in their defeat on penalties.

So, it may not take a genius to see that this league opener, even with the Magpies playing at home, will likely follow a similar possession pattern, especially given how Russell Martin likes to set up his sides, but will the Foxes be able to break the fourth-tier play-off winners down?

I think it'll follow a similar story to the meeting at Turf Moor, in which Notts take the lead through Callum Roberts but are then pegged back, perhaps through Liam Cullen, who felt he was unlucky to score his first for Leicester last weekend.

Cambridge United 1-3 Wigan Athletic

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Into the 3 pm's now, and it's the third of four newly promoted League Two sides, as Cambridge United return to the third tier after a year away for a home bout with Wigan Athletic.

Cambridge finished last year with the best home record in the fourth tier, conceding just 15 goals in 23 games, and won at the Abbey in the EFL Cup against Barnet in what was quite an open, competitive outing.

However, the Tics created five big chances and generated just under three expected goals in their penalty defeat against Barnsley on Saturday. They played as near a perfect first half as they could and, if not for some wasteful finishing, could have been in the second round by half-time.

Gary Caldwell's side may come to Cambridge with a similar intensity, and after things were not firing on all cylinders last week, it could all come together this time round, racing out to a 3-0 lead through a Dara Costelloe brace and one from Fraser Murray.

Neil Harris' side will have the better of the second half. Louis Appere will get his campaign in front of goal underway, but the U's will have ultimately left themselves with too much to do.

Barnsley 3-1 Bromley

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It's taken five games for a home side to pick up all three points, but despite Bromley looking to get their first League One campaign off to a bright start, Reyes Cleary will be on hand to give them their 'welcome to the third tier' moment.

Arguably, it would have been Andy Woodman who would have been the happier out of the two managers following last weekend, despite Barnsley being the ones to progress out of their respective ties.

But Daniel Stendel will therefore be wanting a big reaction from his squad, and the second-half showing against Wigan did give some encouragement ahead of the league action kicking off on Saturday.

Cleary will have a hand in all three goals, scoring one and setting up a couple for Cameron McGeehan and Patrick Kelly, with Victor Adeboyejo's consolation being nothing more than a clean sheet ruiner.

Leyton Orient 0-0 Sheffield Wednesday

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There has to be one bore draw, doesn't there?

As mentioned earlier, there wasn't much to separate Leyton Orient from Oxford on Saturday, with the game locked at a stalemate heading into the final five minutes before Orient netted twice.

Meanwhile, Sheffield Wednesday did knock out Championship opposition in Bolton Wanderers, but the red card to Xavi Simons really swung things in the Owls' favour.

That's not to say that both sides didn't deserve their respective wins; I just feel that these two are still figuring out what they look like this season, with Orient adjusting to a different way of attacking without Dom Ballard, and Wednesday with their new-look squad.

Huddersfield Town 2-0 AFC Wimbledon

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For the second successive season in a row, Huddersfield Town begin the new campaign against the side they ended last term against.

Back in May, the Terriers beat a beachy AFC Wimbledon 4-0 at Plough Lane, and while this one may not be as dominant as that final-day win, it should still be a relatively comfortable opening to the new season under Martin Drury.

Quite a few critics have the Dons tipped to struggle this season after their late relegation scare last year, and needing a 98th-minute equaliser to take Newport County, who are tipped for relegation in League Two, to penalties on Saturday won't invoke much confidence.

That being said, there likely won't be many occasions in league action where Johnnie Jackson's side keep over 60% of the possession, so against a more ball-dominant outfit, they may be a bit more apt to take on Huddersfield.

Nevertheless, goals for Marcus Harness and Ashley Fletcher should be enough to give Martin Drury's side all three points.

Blackpool 2-1 Wycombe Wanderers

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Blackpool ended last season on a real wave of momentum, especially at Bloomfield Road, as home form was key to their eventual 13th-placed finish.

Despite a poor pre-season, they left that behind them with a convincing 3-1 win at Grimsby Town, who many tip to be right at the top of League Two this season.

Meanwhile, only two teams won fewer games away from home last season than Wycombe Wanderers, who managed just four victories on their travels, and there hasn't been much over the offseason and last week that gives me confidence that'll change.

Niall Ennis got off to a goalscoring start after three minutes in Cleethorpes, and he'll net early on again, and while Emre Tezgal will equalise at some point, Ennis will be there once again to secure all three points for Ian Evatt's side.

Bradford City 3-0 Peterborough United

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Bradford City's home form in the last 18 months has been nothing short of impeccable.

Very few sides come and take points away from Valley Parade, and with Peterborough United still reeling from key attacking departures this summer, Luke Williams' side will be in for a real tough afternoon in West Yorkshire.

There will be reinforcement through the door at London Road between now and September 1st, but for now, this Posh side seems there for the taking, and a Bradford outfit who will be keen to remove any doubts of a play-off hangover will be looking to impress.

Jake Beesley will net his first couple of Bradford goals here, either side of Bobby Pointon.

Plymouth Argyle 1-1 Stockport County

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As of writing, Plymouth Argyle are yet to kick off their 2026/27 campaign. They'll do so in the Devon Derby on Monday night, and it'll be intriguing to see what Tom Cleverley's side will look like without talisman Lorent Tolaj and with some much-needed defensive improvement.

If they're anything like they were without the Swissman through periods of 2026 when he was out injured, they may be in for a real statement performance against last season's play-off finalists on opening day this Saturday.

But Stockport County looked okay in their first competitive game under Jimmy McNulty against a strong Doncaster Rovers side. They were happy to keep the ball and even happier to let it fly from distance.

They may try to maintain that possession-heavy style, even away from home, and that should be enough for a draw at a ground that's notoriously difficult to win at, even if Plymouth didn't have the best record at Home Park last year. Kyle Wootton and Bim Pepple to score.