Sheffield Wednesday vs Barnsley
12th December 1500hrs
Football – England – EFL Championship
Pick 1-1 Draw
Bookmaker Unibet
Odds: 5/1 odds taken 1644 GMT, Friday 11 December
Two Yorkshire sides meet in a vital EFL Championship fixture this Saturday, as Tony Pulis’ Sheffield Wednesday welcome Valerien Ismael’s Barnsley to Hillsborough. The Owls are perched at the bottom of the second-tier table on just nine points, while the Tykes are in 16th with 22 points to their name. Can Pulis pick up hist first Wednesday win, or will Barnsley’s revival under Ismael continue?
Table of Contents
Sheffield Wednesday Preview – Will Pulis finally secure first win as Owls boss?
It has been a woeful year for the Sheffield Wednesday supporters, with their side deducted 12 points at the start of this season. Even though that was cut in half recently, the Owls remain bottom of the Championship table with just six points to their name.
So far, Wednesday have won three, drawn six and lost eight of their opening 17 league matches. After the sacking of Garry Monk, the board wasted no time in persuading the experienced Tony Pulis to sign on the dotted line at Hillsborough.
The Welshman is still waiting for his first win, though, as Wednesday have lost three and drawn three under his guidance. After three successive draws, the Sheffield club have lost their last two. Can they pick up their first win in over a month on Saturday?
Barnsley Preview – Can Ismael pick up a seventh victory?
Valerien Ismael has certainly had a mixed bag of results since taking over at Oakwell. After ten games in charge of the Owls, the Frenchman has won six and lost four. Those six victories have lifted them away from trouble, with Barnsley now ten points above the bottom three.
After a heavy home defeat to high-flying Bournemouth, the Tykes returned to winning ways with a crucial 2-1 triumph over Wycombe Wanderers at Oakwell on Wednesday night. Two of their last three have ended in 2-1 wins.
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Ismael will be going for a seventh win as Barnsley boss at the weekend. The side from South Yorkshire are the slight second favourites, but they will fancy their chances at Hillsborough.
Sheffield Wednesday vs Barnsley Betting Advice
Back in February, these two sides drew 1-1 at Oakwell. However, Sheffield Wednesday cruised to a 2-0 victory in their home fixture, with Jacob Murphy and Steven Fletcher netting for the Owls.
Key Facts – Sheffield Wednesday vs Barnsley Betting Tip
- Five of the last eight Sheffield Wednesday vs Barnsley meetings have ended in draws (all 1-1 draws)
- Ismael has picked up six wins from his first ten games in charge of the Tykes
- Pulis is still looking for his first Owls victory (three defeats, three draws)
Barnsley either win or lose under Ismael, but we can see these two evenly matched Yorkshire sides battling to a draw on Saturday. Incredibly, four of the last five meetings between the pair have ended in 1-1 draws. A repeat scoreline at Hillsborough is available at 5/1.
Cauley Woodrow has really stepped up his game since arriving at Barnsley from Fulham in July 2019. The 26-year-old has helped himself to an impressive seven league and cup goals already this term. Woodrow scored the winner against Wycombe last time out, and the Tykes striker is priced at 6/1 to open the scoring in this one.
The best betting odds for Sheffield Wednesday vs Barnsley
Sheffield Wednesday to win: 8/5 at Bet365
Draw: 9/4 at Bet365
Barnsley to win: 9/5 at Bet365
