Two sides in contrasting runs of form will square off at Oakwell on Saturday, as Barnsley entertain Burton Albion.
The hosts have dropped out of the top six in the League One table following three consecutive defeats, while their visitors have moved within three points of safety thanks to a three-match winning run.
Match preview
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Barnsley return to Oakwell on Saturday aiming to end a losing run in League One, having dropped out of the playoff spots in recent weeks.
Aiming to win promotion back to the Championship at the third time of asking under the new management of Darrell Clarke, they enjoyed a strong first half to the season, sitting in the top six on 42 points from 25 outings having picked up 12 victories and only suffered seven defeats.
That was on the back of four straight victories after Christmas, culminating in a 3-0 beating of Crawley Town at Oakwell in early January, but the Reds have since suffered three straight defeats, first falling away at Bristol Rovers and at home to Stevenage, as Dan Kemp netted the only goal in injury time in the latter.
A tough trip to second-placed Wycombe Wanderers then followed on Tuesday, and Clarke's men again came away empty-handed, despite leading through Jon Russell until the hour mark, as Richard Kone levelled from the spot and netted a 95th minute winner.
Left wounded by consecutive injury-time goals, and having dropped to ninth spot as a result, now trailing sixth-placed Leyton Orient by two points having played one game more, Barnsley will hope to stop the rot on Saturday and move back towards the playoff spots with just a fifth league win of the season at Oakwell.
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They face another tough test, though, as the visitors arrive in their strongest run of the season thus far in a bid to escape the drop zone.
Burton Albion endured a dismal start to the League One campaign, and Gary Bowyer was unable to inspire an initial improvement following his December appointment, as his first six games at the helm ended winless leaving them bottom of the table on just 15 points from 25 games.
That run did end with a 1-1 draw away at fellow strugglers Crawley Town, though, and the Brewers have since extended an unbeaten run with three straight victories, firstly winning 2-1 away at Wigan Athletic thanks to goals from Jon Dadi Bodvarsson and Rumarn Burrell.
A Bodvarsson brace and goals from Ryan Sweeney and JJ McKiernan then fired them to a 4-2 triumph over Rotherham United last weekend, before the Brewers most recently hosted Reading on Tuesday and again took all three points from a 3-2 win, with Burrell netting his second of the game in injury time alongside another Bodvarsson goal.
Having quickly rebuilt confidence and momentum in their survival bid and moved onto five victories and 24 points for the campaign, Burton Albion now sit just three points adrift of safety, and they will hope to continue their climb by prevailing at Barnsley in what would be their fourth straight League One win for the first time since October 2023.
Team News
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Barnsley head into the weekend without experienced defender Marc Roberts, who is suspended after being sent off in their midweek defeat to Wycombe Wanderers., while Mael de Gevigney should again be out having missed the last two games.
Given those absences, Kyran Lofthouse may have to deputise in the back three alongside Donovan Pines and Josh Earl, while Adam Phillips will hope to return from the outset after Stephen Humphrys, Max Watters and Davis Keillor-Dunn lined up in a front three last time out.
The Reds signed goalkeeper Joe Gauci on loan from Aston Villa on Thursday, and he should displace Ben Killip and make a debut between the sticks on Saturday.
Burton Albion should be unchanged from their latest victory on Tuesday in their new 3-5-2 setup.
Rumarn Burrell and Jon Dadi Bodvarsson are bound to continue their attacking partnership, with the former having netted five goals in their last six outings and the latter having scored four goals in the last three outings following his January arrival.
Terence Vancooten, Ryan Sweeney and Jack Armer will continue in a back three with further support from Udoka Godwin-Malife and Owen Dodgson in wing-back roles.
Barnsley possible starting lineup:
Gauci; Lofthouse, Pines, Earl; O'Keefe, Russell, Connell, Gent; Phillips, Keillor-Dunn; Humphrys
Burton Albion possible starting lineup:
Crocombe; Vancooten, Sweeney, Armer; Godwin-Malife, Webster, McKiernan, Chauke, Dodgson; Burrell, Bodvarsson
We say: Barnsley 1-2 Burton Albion
Given the hosts' recent struggles and underwhelming home record and the visitors' growing momentum in the fight for survival, we fancy Burton Albion to spring a surprise on Barnsley on Saturday and leave with all three points, given the fine form of their attackers in particular.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Sam Varley
