Championship · Matchday 1: Bolton beat Preston 2-1. The match was played on Saturday, 15 August 2026 at Toughsheet Community Stadium (Bolton); refereed by Adam Herczeg, England.
S. Dalby 14' (Bolton) · T. Gale 25' (Bolton) · J. Erabi 86' (Preston)
After a 2-0 first half, the game finished 2-1.
Bolton held 55% of possession against 45%, attempting 15 shots to Preston's 10.
Shots on target read 6-3 and corners 5-2.
Substitutes: D. Harrington, B. Davies, L. Brunt, C. Christie, E. Toal, D. Watson, S. Iling Junior, R. Hardie, K. Dong
Coach: Steven Schumacher
Substitutes: L. Nicholls, A. Vukcevic, O. Offiah, T. Small, E. Nolan, A. Moran, L. Leroy, J. Erabi, G. Gryba
Coach: Paul Heckingbottom
Thierry Gale (Bolton) — named player of the match with a 8.2 rating.