Wrexham will be aiming to make it three straight victories in League One when they welcome Barnsley to Wales on Tuesday night for what is shaping up to be an intriguing affair.
The home side are second in the League One table, four points behind the leaders Wycombe Wanderers, while Barnsley are sixth, picking up 27 points from their opening 17 matches of the campaign.
Match preview
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Wrexham were beaten 1-0 at Stockport County in the middle of November, but they have bounced back impressively from that result by overcoming Exeter City and Lincoln City in their last two matches.
Phil Parkinson's side have been strong in League One this season, picking up 34 points from their 17 matches courtesy of a record of 10 wins, four draws and three defeats, which has left them second in the table.
The Welsh outfit are only four points off first-placed Wycombe Wanderers, but the leaders also have a game in hand and are very much in charge of the title race at this stage of the campaign.
Wrexham have been excellent defensively this season, only conceding 11 times in their 17 league matches, but goals have been slightly harder to find than many predicted, scoring just 26, 10 fewer than Wycombe.
The Red Dragons, who have the best home record in the third tier this term, are eyeing a third straight promotion to the Championship for the 2025-26 campaign, and it would be fair to say that it is a very exciting time in the club's history.
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Wrexham have picked up 25 points from their nine home league games this season, which is comfortably the best record in the division, but Barnsley have been impressive on their travels, securing 16 points from eight games.
The Tykes are also expected to be in the mix for promotion come the end of the season, and they are currently in sixth position in the table, picking up 27 points from their opening 17 matches of the campaign.
Barnsley are on a four-game winless run in all competitions, though, including a penalty-shootout loss to Bristol Rovers in the second round of the FA Cup on Saturday, so their journey in this season's competition is already over.
Darrell Clarke's side have picked up just two points from their last three league matches, with their last success coming at home to Rotherham United towards the start of November.
Barnsley have not beaten Wrexham since 2003, but this contest will represent the first meeting between the two sides since April 2025, when it finished all square at Oakwell in a 2-2 draw.
Team News
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Wrexham have not reported any injury concerns since their clash with Lincoln on November 26, so it is expected that head coach Parkinson will have the same squad available for this match.
As a result, it could be an unchanged XI, with Ollie Palmer, who has scored three times in the league this season, set to lead the line, with Elliot Lee operating in the number 10 position.
Paul Mullin has only scored once in 15 League One appearances during the 2024-25 campaign, and it is likely that the experienced forward will again be among the substitutes for the first whistle on Tuesday night.
As for Barnsley, there will be another start in midfield for Adam Phillips, with the 26-year-old in excellent form during the 2024-25 campaign, scoring six goals and registering two assists in 17 appearances.
Davis Keillor-Dunn and Stephen Humphrys have nine goals between them this term, meanwhile, and the pair are expected to feature as the front two in Wales on Tuesday night.
There are unlikely to be any surprises when it comes to the Barnsley side for this contest, with Marc Roberts, who has four goals this season, set to continue in the middle of the defence.
Wrexham possible starting lineup:
Burton; Cleworth, O'Connell, Brunt; Barnett, Dobson, James, Rathbone, McClean; Lee; Palmer
Barnsley possible starting lineup:
Killip; De Gevigney, Roberts, Earl; O'Keeffe, Phillips, Connell, Russell, Gent; Humphrys, Keillor-Dunn
We say: Wrexham 2-1 Barnsley
This is shaping up to be a very interesting match, with Barnsley strong on their travels this term; Wrexham are such a powerful force in front of their own fans, though, and we are expecting Parkinson's side to navigate their way to all three points here.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Matt Law
