West Bromwich Albion and Barnsley will take their largely miserable campaigns to the final whistle when they meet at The Hawthorns on Saturday, with kickoff at 2:30 pm.
West Brom was relegated from the Premier League last season, but manager Valerien Ismael hoped to bounce back immediately.
But a severe dip in form cost him his job, and Steve Bruce has done little to arrest the slump – Albion has won just five out of 16 games under the 61-year-old. The Baggies can finish as high as ninth, meaning it will be their lowest finish since 2000.
It is the first time that they will end outside the top six in a Championship campaign. Karlan Grant’s 78th-minute goal earned a 1-0 victory away at Reading last weekend, and West Brom will now be hoping to finish the season with back-to-back wins under Bruce for the first time.
Barnsley has had a disastrous second season in the Championship. They are winless in eight matches, have suffered four successive defeats, and fall out of the division with barely a whimper.
The last two matches – a 2-0 loss to Blackpool and a 3-1 defeat to Preston North End – were overseen by caretaker boss Martin Devaney after Poya Asbaghi was relieved of his duties.
West Brom vs. Barnsley Head to Head
Both sides have six games against each other, with visitors taking two wins and four draws. Here is a look at their previous encounters:
Home
- Reading 0-1 West Brom
- West Brom 0-0 Coventry City
- Nottingham Forest 4-0 West Brom
- West Brom 2-1 Blackpool
- West Brom 1-3 Stoke City
Away
- Barnsley 1-3 Preston North End
- Barnsley 0-2 Blackpool
- Huddersfield 2-1 Barnsley
- Barnsley 0-2 Peterborough
- Swansea City 1-1 Barnsley
West Brom Team News
West Brom will not extend Andy Carroll’s contract, and he will not play on the final day of the season. Youngsters Zac Ashworth and Kevin Castro were given game time off the bench against Reading last weekend to feature again.
Barnsley Team News
Devaney has given chances to many Barnsley’s academy players since the club’s relegation was confirmed, with young striker Aiden Marsh scoring against Preston last weekend. Jason Saha, Jordan Helliwell, and Isaac Christie-Davies are among the others to have featured; they should get another chance to impress.
Prediction and Odds
Barnsley will want to end their time in the Championship with a win, but their awful recent form suggests that this is unlikely.
- Barnsley Win
- Goals Under 2.5
- No Score: Away
