Sports Mole previews Saturday’s League One clash between Huddersfield Town and Barnsley, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Barnsley will travel to the John Smith’s Stadium on Saturday to take on Huddersfield Town in a Yorkshire derby.
The hosts have quickly dropped to 15th spot in the League One table following four consecutive defeats, while their visitors sit eighth on the back of a pair of draws.
Match preview
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Huddersfield Town will bid to put an end to a dismal run of form on their return to action on Saturday, having seen a pleasing start to their League One promotion bid halted in recent weeks.
Aiming to bounce back to England’s second tier at the first time of asking under the new management of Michael Duff, they amassed 12 points from their first five outings, culminating in a statement 4-0 victory away at fellow promotion-hopefuls Bolton Wanderers in mid-September.
They have been unable to build on that fast start since, though, having since conceded eight goals and only scored twice over the course of four straight losses heading into the weekend, firstly falling short at home to Northampton Town and Blackpool.
Then following a 2-1 defeat away at Reading last weekend, having led through Matty Pearson, the Terriers most recently visited league leaders Birmingham City on Tuesday and again left empty-handed as Alfie May netted the only goal of the game on the hour mark.
Having quickly dropped into the bottom half of England’s third tier but remaining within three points of the top six, Huddersfield Town will now bid to stop the rot and make an important return to winning ways in Saturday’s Yorkshire derby.
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They meet a Barnsley side who leapfrogged the Terriers in recent weeks in the midst of a mixed start to their own League One promotion bid this term.
Following back-to-back playoff exits over the previous two terms, the first of which came under the management of Terriers boss Duff, Saturday’s visitors set out to go one better under Darrell Clarke this season, and they currently sit seventh having earned 15 points from their first nine outings.
Their success has come in attack thus far, with only three sides having topped the Reds’ tally of 15 goals, and they head into the weekend’s trip in the midst of a three-match unbeaten streak, firstly bouncing back from a 3-0 defeat to Stevenage by beating Burton Albion 2-1 on the road.
Clarke’s men now find themselves on the back of consecutive draws at Oakwell, firstly being pegged back in injury time at home to Stockport County after leading through Adam Phillips, before Marc Roberts levelled their meeting with Wycombe Wanderers at two goals apiece in the 89th minute on Tuesday, after Stephen Humphrys netted their first equaliser on the hour mark.
Still yet to truly hit their stride under Clarke, albeit only trailing fourth spot on goal difference and second-placed Wrexham by two points, Barnsley will now bid to get back to winning ways and extend their unbeaten streak at the John Smith’s Stadium on Saturday to move further into the leading pack.
Huddersfield Town League One form:
Huddersfield Town form (all competitions):
Barnsley League One form:
Barnsley form (all competitions):
Team News
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Michael Duff may opt to make several changes to his Huddersfield Town side for Saturday’s game to inspire an upturn in form, with Jonathan Hogg pushing to return to the midfield from the outset.
He could rejoin Antony Evans and Ben Wiles in the engine room after David Kasumu was preferred for the trip to Birmingham City, while Nigel Lonwijk will hope to displace either Matty Pearson, Tom Lees or Brodie Spencer and start in the middle of the defence in Michal Helik‘s absence.
The Terriers have options in attack too, with Callum Marshall and Bojan Radulovic having started in midweek while Duff could bring in Josh Koroma and Freddie Ladapo on Saturday.
Barnsley will remain without striker Max Watters due to an injury on Saturday, although there is still competition for attacking spots with Fabio Jalo and Stephen Humphrys competing to start, the latter of whom has netted two goals in his last three appearances.
In a 3-4-3 shape, he may join fellow summer arrival Davis Keillor-Dunn in support of lone front man Sam Cosgrove, if danger man Adam Phillips again misses out, while Matthew Craig should continue to partner Luca Connell in the engine room.
Elsewhere, Josh Earl has moved into a left wing-back role to accommodate Mael de Gevigney, Donovan Pines and Marc Roberts in a back three in front of Chelsea loanee Gabriel Slonina between the sticks.
Huddersfield Town possible starting lineup:
Chapman; Sorensen, Pearson, Lees, Lonwijk, Miller; Wiles, Hogg, Evans; Ladapo, Koroma
Barnsley possible starting lineup:
Slonina; De Gevigney, Pines, Roberts; Cotter, Craig, Connell, Earl; Humphrys, Cosgrove, Keillor-Dunn
We say: Huddersfield Town 1-1 Barnsley
Both keen to record a statement victory after somewhat unconvincing starts to their promotion bids this term, we anticipate a close-fought Yorkshire derby at the John Smith’s Stadium.
The loss of Phillips is a major blow for Barnsley going forward, and while they have the quality to trouble an out-of-sorts Huddersfield team, we see a draw as the most likely outcome with Duff desperate to stop the rot against his former club.
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