MX23RW : Wednesday, June 12 09:41:30| >> :600:3177143:3177143:
[monks data]
Barnsley
League One
May 29, 2023 at 3pm UK
Wembley Stadium
Sheffield Wednesday logo

Barnsley
0 - 1
Sheff Weds


Thomas (95')
Phillips (49')
FT
(aet)
Windass (120+3')

Preview: Barnsley vs. Sheffield Wednesday - prediction, team news, lineups

Sports Mole previews Monday's League One clash between Barnsley and Sheffield Wednesday, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.

On the back of two completely contrasting semi-final ties, Championship hopefuls Barnsley and Sheffield Wednesday lock horns at Wembley on Monday afternoon in a tantalising League One playoff final.

The Tykes scraped past Bolton Wanderers 2-1 on aggregate to punch their ticket to the capital, while Darren Moore's side pulled off the comeback to end all comebacks in their elimination of Peterborough United.


Match preview

Barnsley manager Michael Duff on May 13, 2023© Reuters

While the events that unfolded at Hillsborough understandably made all the headlines, Barnsley welcomed Bolton to Oakwell having gleaned a respectable 1-1 draw from the first leg of their semi-final tie, and Michael Duff's side certainly made their territorial advantage count.

Despite only boasting 33% possession over the course of the 90 minutes, a first-half Liam Kitching header was all that was required for the Tykes to seal a slender aggregate win and keep their hopes of an immediate return to the second tier alive, although they were forced to survive an Aaron Morley free kick from inside the area fizzing over the bar after Harry Isted had handled a backpass.

In fact, that success over the Trotters ended an unsightly four-game streak without a win or clean sheet for Barnsley, who took just one point from their last nine regular-season matches in League One but still comfortably finished fourth in the standings, but the Tykes will no doubt possess the underdogs tag heading into Monday's winner-takes-all tie.

Wembley is unsurprisingly not a regular haunt for the Barnsley faithful, who have witnessed their team lose three of their five games under the iconic arch - although one of their two wins came in the 2015-16 League One playoff final versus Millwall, one month after they had bested Oxford United in the EFL Trophy final.

Sheffield Wednesday's Liam Palmer celebrates scoring their fourth goal on May 18, 2023© Reuters

If any fans at home had only just switched on the TV towards the end of Sheffield Wednesday's semi-final second leg with Peterborough, they might have assumed that the travelling Posh army had invaded the Hillsborough pitch at the final whistle, as the visitors travelled to Yorkshire with a seemingly unassailable 4-0 lead from the opening encounter.

However, Darren Moore's men proceeded to write a page of EFL history with an unbelievable comeback, forcing extra time through Michael Smith, Lee Gregory, Reece James and - in the eighth minute of second-half injury time - Liam Palmer, leaving the Hillsborough crowd in raptures and the Posh players with their heads in their hands.

Sheffield Wednesday's fightback briefly looked to have been in vain when Gregory headed into his own net, but Callum Paterson sealed an incredible 5-1 win on the night to take the semi-final to spot kicks, where a missed Dan Butler strike proved telling.

On the back of that magnificent evening - which saw the Owls become the first-ever team to reach an EFL playoff final after losing the first leg of a semi by at least four goals - Moore's men make the long trip south aiming to right the wrongs of the regular season, where an Easter plateau forced them to accept third place behind Plymouth Argyle and Ipswich Town.

That 4-0 reverse to Peterborough represents the sole defeat from the Owls' last six matches - with the other five all ending in victory - but Barnsley did the double over Sheffield Wednesday in the regular League One season, and a fifth straight Wembley game without a win for Moore's men would render their astonishing semi-final feats inconsequential.

Barnsley League One form:

Sheffield Wednesday League One form:


Team News

Barnsley's Nicky Cadden celebrates scoring their first goal with teammates on May 13, 2023© Reuters

While perhaps tempting fate, Barnsley boss Duff recently confirmed that he should have a full squad of players available for Monday's final, and the majority of the Tykes' team should therefore pick itself.

Despite his inexplicable and very nearly costly error in the second leg against Bolton, Isted will retain possession of the gloves as ever, while Oakwell hero Kitching links arms with captain Mads Andersen and Bobby Thomas in the back three.

James Norwood found the back of the net 11 times in the regular season, but the 32-year-old will accept another cameo role as Devante Cole and Manchester City loanee Slobodan Tedic join forces in attack.

Unlike Barnsley, Sheffield Wednesday have been sweating over the fitness of a couple of key players, with Marvin Johnson and Dominic Iorfa both looking a little worse for wear after the second leg versus Peterborough.

However, Moore has revealed that the pair have been in training as normal this week and will be fine for the trip to Wembley, and there is even a small chance that George Byers (hamstring) could play for the first time since March, having initially claimed that he would not be available for the rest of the season.

A spot on the bench awaits Byers if he is given the green light, though, as Moore also sticks with the same formula from their unparalleled second-leg success.


Barnsley possible starting lineup:
Isted; Thomas, Kitching, Andersen; Williams, Kane, Phillips, Connell, Cadden; Cole, Tedic

Sheffield Wednesday possible starting lineup:
Dawson; James, Ihiekwe, Iorfa; Patterson, Bannan, Palmer, Johnson; Windass; Gregory, Smith


SM words green background

We say: Barnsley 1-3 Sheffield Wednesday

With no second leg on offer to save their bacon, Sheffield Wednesday can ill-afford another disastrous display like their first-leg demolition at the hands of Peterborough, but Moore's side should live up to their favourites tag against a wholly inconsistent Barnsley outfit.

The Tykes should still make the net ripple at least once as their Yorkshire counterparts commit men forward, but having already scored a whopping 104 goals this season, the Owls can flaunt their attacking excellence to end their brief absence from the Championship.



For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.


Top tip

Our expert tipster partners at Sporita.com are predicting under 2.5 goals in this match. Click here to find out what else they are predicting for this game and for more of their tried-and-tested football tips.Under 2.5:data


ID:514812:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:collect13069:

Previews by email

Click here to get Sports Mole's daily email of previews and predictions for every major game!


Data Pass: [t, league-one, odds, 3540302]

How you voted: Barnsley vs Sheff Weds

Barnsley
35.9%
Sheffield Wednesday
64.1%
64
Collect / Create New Data
Share this article now:
Derby County manager Paul Warne after the match on January 8, 2023
Read Next:
Derby miss out on League One playoffs, Cambridge survive
>
Sports Mole Logo
Enter your email address to subscribe to Sports Mole's free match previews newsletter! Updates are sent twice a week.
rhs 2.0
Euro 2024 fixtures header
Friday, June 14
 
8pm
Saturday, June 15
 
2pm
 
5pm
 
8pm
Sunday, June 16
 
2pm
 
5pm
 
8pm
Monday, June 17
 
2pm
 
5pm
 
8pm
Tuesday, June 18
 
5pm
Wednesday, June 19
 
2pm
 
5pm
 
8pm
Thursday, June 20
 
2pm
 
5pm
 
8pm
Group Stage
Spain
vs.
Italy
Friday, June 21
 
2pm
 
5pm
 
8pm
Saturday, June 22
 
5pm
 
8pm
Sunday, June 23
 
8pm
 
8pm
Monday, June 24
 
8pm
 
8pm
Tuesday, June 25
 
5pm
 
5pm
 
8pm
 
8pm
Wednesday, June 26
 
5pm
 
5pm
 
8pm
 
8pm
Saturday, June 29
Sunday, June 30
Monday, July 1
Tuesday, July 2
Friday, July 5
Saturday, July 6
Tables header RHS

Group A

TeamPWDLPTS
1 Germany Germany00000
2 Hungary Hungary00000
3 Scotland flag Scotland00000
4 Switzerland Switzerland00000

Group B

TeamPWDLPTS
1 Albania national flag Albania00000
2 Croatia Croatia00000
3 Italy Italy00000
4 Spain Spain00000

Group C

TeamPWDLPTS
1 Denmark Denmark00000
2 England flag England00000
3 Serbia Serbia00000
4 Slovenia Slovenia00000

Group D

TeamPWDLPTS
1 Austria Austria00000
2 France France00000
3 Netherlands Netherlands00000
4 Poland Poland00000

Group E

TeamPWDLPTS
1 Belgium Belgium00000
2 Romania Romania00000
3 Slovakia Slovakia00000
4 Ukraine Ukraine00000

Group F

TeamPWDLPTS
1 Czech Republic Czech Republic00000
2 Georgia Georgia00000
3 Portugal Portugal00000
4 Turkey Turkey00000


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!