Barnsley take on the visitors Sheffield Wednesday in the final match of English League One playoffs. The match will be played on Monday, May 29th at Wembley Stadium (London).
Despite having the FA Cup in trophy cabinet (which was won over 100 years ago in the early 20th century), "The Tykes" are currently considered a low-level "football elevator." In recent years, their pattern has been to jump into the Championship but not stay there. In the 2022/2023 season, in League One, at a lower level, this team was considered a favorite, but the optimistic predictions did not come true. Moreover, realizing that the second place was out of reach, Michael Duff's team eased off and failed to win in the last three matches. However, it seems to have been a calculated move, a kind of conserving energy. In the playoffs, at least, Barnsley easily defeated Bolton without any significant problems. They even opened the score away but settled for a 1-1 draw. However, at home, they managed to defeat "The Trotters" with a minimal 1-0 victory, securing their spot in the playoffs.
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Sheffield Wednesday played consistently in the Championship for a decade. They had several chances to even make it to the Premier League and once lost in the playoff final to Hull at Wembley. However, Darren Moore couldn't prevent their relegation to League One a year ago. Nevertheless, Moore remained in his position with the clear task of quickly returning the team to a higher level. They were in contention for automatic promotion until the very end. However, even with a strong finish, winning five out of six matches, it wasn't enough to overtake Ipswich, who ended up earning two points more. Finishing third, the players entered the playoff matches. It started horribly with a 0-4 defeat against Peterborough. However, in their home city of Sheffield, a comeback occurred, which was bound to become legendary. In the eighth minute of added time, Palmer scored the fourth goal, taking the match to overtime. There was an own goal by Gregory, but they also responded to that. Finally, they confidently won the penalty shootout with a score of 5-3. However, did it cost them too much energy, not only physically but also psychologically?
In this season, Barnsley has been stronger in both encounters. In September, "The Tykes" secured a 2-0 victory on away ground, and in March, they claimed a 4-2 win at home. Sheffield Wednesday is considered the confident favorite in this matchup. However, Barnsley is in good form and has played well against "The Owls" this season. We believe they will not lose in regular time.
Prediction for the match: Barnsley not to lose (1X).
