Barnsley vs Sheffield Wednesday Match Analysis & Prediction
29/05/2023 5:00 pm
On the back of two completely contrasting semi-final ties, Championship hopefuls Barnsley and Sheffield Wednesday meet at Wembley on Monday in a League One playoff final.
The Tykes beat Bolton Wanderers 2-1 on aggregate to secure their ticket to the capital, while Sheffield Wednesday pulled off the comeback to end all comebacks in their elimination of Peterborough United.
Barnsley welcomed Bolton to Oakwell having recorded a 1-1 draw from the first leg of their semi-final tie, and the Tykes 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 Barnsley to seasl a narrow aggregate win and keep their hopes of an immediate return to the Championship 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.
Meawhile, Sheffield Wednesday travelled to Yorkshire for the semi-final second leg with a seemingly unassailable 4-0 lead from the opening game.
However, Darren Moore’s side 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 Hillaborough 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 occasion to take the semi-final to spot kicks, where a missed Dan Butler strike proved telling.
On the back of that spectacular evening, the Owls 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 only defeat from Sheffield Wednesday’s last six matches – with the other five all ending in victory – but Barnsley did the double over the Owls in regular League One season, and a fifth straight Wembley game without a win for Moore’s side would render their remarkable semi-final feats inconsequential.
Barnsley vs. Sheffield Wednesday Head to head
In the 35 previous meetings between these two teams across all competitions, Barnsley have claimed 10 victories while Sheffield Wednesday have won 15, and they have drawn in 10. Wednesday have scored 42 goals and conceded 38 in the process.
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12/12/2020Sheffield Wednesday1Barnsley2Championship
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20/03/2021Barnsley1Sheffield Wednesday2Championship
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17/07/2021Barnsley2Sheffield Wednesday0Club Friendlies
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03/09/2022Sheffield Wednesday0Barnsley2League One
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21/03/2023Barnsley4Sheffield Wednesday2League One
Barnsley Team News
Isted is expected to retain possession of the gloves as ever, while Oakwell hero Kitching partners with captain Mads Andersen and Bobby Thomas in the back three.
James Norwood scored 11 times in the regular season, but he will accept another cameo role as Devante Cole and Manchester City loanee Slobodan Tedic join forces in attack.
Barnsley's Last 5 Matches
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24/04/2023Barnsley0Ispwich Town3League One
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29/04/2023Milton Keynes Dons4Barnsley4League One
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07/05/2023Barnsley0Peterborough United2League One
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13/05/2023Bolton Wanderers1Barnsley1League One
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19/05/2023Barnsley1Bolton Wanderers0League One
Sheffield Wednesday Team News
Sheffield Wednesday’s Marvin Johnson and Dominic Iorfa both look a little worse for wear after the second leg against Peterborough.
There is 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.
Sheffield Wednesday's Last 5 Matches
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22/04/2023Sheffield Wednesday2Exeter City1League One
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29/04/2023Shrewsbury Town0Sheffield Wednesday3League One
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07/05/2023Sheffield Wednesday1Derby County0League One
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12/05/2023Peterborough United4Sheffield Wednesday0League One
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18/05/2023Sheffield Wednesday(P)5Peterborough United1League One
Barnsley vs. Sheffield Wednesday: Odds and Predictions
Main Prediction
Double Chance: Sheffield Wednesday or X
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