As Bradford prepares for their Sky Bet League Two play-off semi-final second leg against Carlisle on Saturday, manager Mark Hughes insisted that his team is confident and not feeling any pressure.

Jamie Walker's goal has given the Bantams a 1-0 advantage going into the crucial decisive leg at Brunton Park.

It marks both Hughes' first postseason appearance and Bradford's first playoff appearance since they were demoted to the fourth tier in 2019.

According to Hughes, his team is in the advantageous position and is optimistic going into the play-offs based on recent performance.

I would much rather be in our situation than Carlisle's, he said during a press conference.Going there with the confidence that comes with winning a football game in addition to the victory's final score. If you look at the last 10 games, we have more victories than Carlisle do, and we just had a victory.Because we are on the offensive, anticipating the game, and in a positive frame of mind going into it, we are in a better situation in terms of confidence and there is no pressure on us at all.

Although Hughes has never participated in the playoffs, he has compared the atmosphere at the University of Bradford Stadium to European nights at his previous clubs and maintains that the big-game atmosphere on Saturday won't surprise his team. Hughes is enjoying his first play-off experience.

I've appreciated the occasion and the ambiance surrounding the game, he continued.It was enjoyable for me to relive the mood and loudness of a large crowd during a game because it brought back memories of the nights in Europe.

They had a lot of anxiety during the opening act because of the stage and the environment, which will be repeated, perhaps not to the same degree, but they will still have to deal with a large audience. We typically experience that every weekend.

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