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League One | Gameweek 19
Dec 7, 2024 at 3pm UK
Oakwell Stadium
BL

Barnsley
1 - 2
Birmingham

Seung-ho (58' og.)
Connell (15'), Clarke (16'), O'Keeffe (23'), Phillips (38'), Cosgrove (83')
Phillips (70')
FT(HT: 0-0)
Stansfield (60', 79')
Harris (31'), Laird (87'), Gardner-Hickman (90+4')

Preview: Barnsley vs. Birmingham City - prediction, team news, lineups

:Headline: Preview: Barnsley vs. Birmingham City - prediction, team news, lineups:
Sports Mole previews Saturday's League One clash between Barnsley and Birmingham City, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Sports Mole

Looking to halt a worrying winless run, playoff-chasing Barnsley will welcome title favourites Birmingham City to Oakwell for a League One battle on Saturday afternoon.

The Reds suffered a last-gasp defeat at newly-promoted Wrexham earlier in the week, whilst Blues managed a comfortable victory over promotion rivals Stockport County.


Match preview

Since the 2-0 success over Yorkshire rivals Rotherham United on November 8, Barnsley have endured a five-game winless streak across League One and the FA Cup, meaning that Saturday's hosts will not be full of confidence heading into a clash with the favourites for the third-tier crown.

The Reds were the latest victims of the Hollywood storyline being played out in North Wales on Tuesday night, when a 92nd-minute winner from Ollie Rathbone snatched maximum points for Wrexham, who were watched by the likes of Rob McElhenney and Danny DeVito from across the Atlantic Ocean.

Returning to the reality of Oakwell life this weekend, Barnsley are currently occupying eighth position in the League One table, three points behind sixth-placed Reading and a mammoth 10 points adrift of second-placed Wrexham, who will take some catching between now and early May.

Unlike the majority of sides in the third tier, the Reds have collected fewer points at home than during away matches so far in 2024-25, with Darrell Clarke's men victorious in just two of their nine fixtures at Oakwell - only relegation-threatened Burton Albion (1) have won fewer in front of their own supporters.

After losing 30-goal pair Devante Cole and John McAtee to West Bromwich Albion and Bolton Wanderers respectively over the summer, Barnsley have struggled to reach the attacking heights of last season, as shown by midfielder Adam Phillips leading the club's Golden Boot race with five strikes.

Since the 3-2 defeat at Gareth Ainsworth's Shrewsbury Town on November 23, Birmingham City have enjoyed a three-game winning run across League One and the FA Cup, getting their hopes of automatic promotion to the Championship at the first time of asking back on track ahead of the festive period.

Following back-to-back away successes at Exeter City and Blackpool, Stockport County were the latest victims of Chris Davies's third-tier juggernaut on Wednesday night, when a brilliant brace from Alfie May - now back operating in a central-striking role - secured victory for Blues at St Andrew's @ Knighthead Park.

Due to Wycombe Wanderers' slight slip-up at the home of the Grecians earlier in the week, Birmingham have moved to within three points of the league leaders in the League One standings, although the Second City side have games in hand on both the Chairboys and second-placed Wrexham.

Only Matt Bloomfield's Wycombe (21) have collected more than Blues' 16 points on the road in League One so far this campaign, but Davies's men have won just one of their last three League One outings due to a share of the spoils at Mansfield Town and a shock defeat at Shrewsbury recently.

Birmingham have failed to win during their last two trips to South Yorkshire, with Saturday's visitors last tasting success at Oakwell in February 2020, when a 16-year-old Jude Bellingham assisted Scott Hogan for the contest's only goal.

Barnsley League One form:


Barnsley form (all competitions):


Birmingham City League One form:


Birmingham City form (all competitions):



Team News

After drawing a blank at Wrexham on Tuesday night, Barnsley could be tempted to make some changes to their forward line, meaning that the places of Davis Keillor-Dunn and Stephen Humphreys are under threat.

At just 19 years of age, Portuguese striker Fabio Jalo looked sharp during a brief cameo in Wales and could earn his first League One start of the campaign this weekend.

A number of ex-Birmingham players are set to face their former employers at Oakwell, including Marc Roberts, Sam Cosgrove and Corey O'Keeffe.

After providing two assists for May in the first half against Stockport, Birmingham winger Keshi Anderson picked up his fifth yellow card of the campaign and will therefore serve a one-game suspension this weekend.

The absence of the former Blackpool man will add to the selection woes for Blues on the flanks, with both Emil Hansson and Scott Wright unavailable because of injury.

Ayumu Yokoyama would represent a natural replacement for Anderson, but the 21-year-old failed to make the matchday squad on Wednesday night, with veteran striker Lukas Jutkiewicz preferred.


Barnsley possible starting lineup:
Killip; De Gevigney, Roberts, Earl; O'Keeffe, Phillips, Connell, Russell, Gent; Jalo, Keillor-Dunn

Birmingham City possible starting lineup:
Allsopp; Bielik, Klarer, Davies, Cochrane; Iwata, Paik, Harris, Willumsson, Stansfield; May


We say: Barnsley 0-1 Birmingham City

In the midst of a five-game winless run, Barnsley will not be looking forward to the visit of promotion contenders Birmingham on Saturday afternoon.

Blues' attack is set to be blunted by the absence of Anderson, but we feel that the visitors should manage to grind out a narrow victory in South Yorkshire.


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


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Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Wycombe WanderersWycombe18124239211840
2Wrexham19124328111740
3Birmingham CityBirmingham17123232161639
4Huddersfield TownHuddersfield18112528161235
5Stockport CountyStockport1996431191233
6Reading189453025531
7Bolton WanderersBolton179352827130
8Barnsley197662725227
9Lincoln CityLincoln197662423127
10Mansfield TownMansfield177372222024
11Exeter CityExeter187381619-324
12Charlton AthleticCharlton186571819-123
13Blackpool186572631-523
14Stevenage176471316-322
15Peterborough UnitedPeterborough186393332121
16Leyton Orient186391920-121
17Northampton TownNorthampton195682126-521
18Bristol Rovers186391726-921
19Wigan AthleticWigan185581516-120
20Rotherham UnitedRotherham175571620-420
21Crawley TownCrawley185491728-1119
22Cambridge UnitedCambridge1844101829-1116
23Burton Albion1825111630-1411
24Shrewsbury TownShrewsbury1832131835-1711
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