BARNSLEY V SWANSEA: BIG-MATCH GUIDE
SWANSEA City take on Barnsley in the first leg of the Championship play-off semi-finals tomorrow.
Here’s everything you need to know about the game at Oakwell.
WHAT TIME IS BARNSLEY VS SWANSEA CITY KICK-OFF?
Barnsley vs Swansea City gets underway at 8.15pm tomorrow.
IS BARNSLEY VS SWANSEA CITY ON TV?
The game will be screened live on Sky Sports.
Coverage on their Football and Main Event channels begins at 8pm.
WHAT ABOUT LIVE STREAMING?
Sky Sports customers will be able to live stream the game via the
Sky Go app. You can also follow updates from the game in Yorkshire on our live blog which will be on WalesOnline’s football page.
WHAT IS THE LATEST TEAM NEWS?
Alex Mowatt – who was included in the EFL’s Sky Bet Championship Team of the Season – is available to feature after he missed his side’s 2-2 draw with champions Norwich City last weekend.
It means defender Ben Williams is the only absentee for the hosts.
As for Swansea, they will be able to call upon defender Ben Cabango.
The Wales international was left out of the squad for last weekend’s 2-0 loss to Watford due to a groin injury, although he has returned to training ahead of the game at Oakwell.
Brandon Cooper is unavailable after he suffered an ankle injury in training ahead of the first leg of the semi-finals. The Swans have no other injury concerns.
WHAT HAVE THE MANAGERS SAID?
Barnsley boss Valerien Ismael:
“We know we need a forceful performance, a brilliant performance to beat them.
“We can go into that game without pressure.
“We’re just looking forward to the game. The desire is bigger.
“They have to give everything at the end, no regrets is the motto to say.
“We are the underdogs. Other teams have bigger squads than us, with more depth in the squad.
“We have our principle, our desire, and mentally we are really strong and that’s why on pitch we can compete.”
Swansea head coach Steve Cooper: “I know how hard we’ve had to work to get into the play-offs.
“You look at the teams that haven’t got there.
“Any team that has got themselves into this position are a good outfit. However they work or however they play.
“Barnsley have had an excellent season, particularly in the second part, and anybody that can finish in the top six this year has to be a good outfit.”
WHAT ARE THE LATEST BETTING ODDS?
Match result: Barnsley win - 23/20; Draw - 11/5; Swansea City win - 13/5. To reach the final: Barnsley - 4/5; Swansea City - 10/11.
(Odds courtesy of Sky Bet, correct at time of publishing)
WHO IS THE REFEREE?
Tony Harrington will take charge of proceedings at Oakwell. Harrington was last in charge of the Swans when they lost 1-0 at Birmingham last month. He was also in the middle for the wins at Nottingham Forest and Rotherham as well as the home defeat by Huddersfield early in the season.
He will be assisted by Shaun Hudson and Richard Wild, while
Geoff Eltringham is the fourth official.
MATCH FACTS
■ During the 2020-21
Championship season, Swansea
City were the only side to complete a league double over Barnsley, winning 2-0 both home and away against the Tykes.
■ Swansea City are unbeaten in their last 16 matches against Barnsley in all competitions (W9 D7), although one of those draws was in the 2005-06 League One play-off final – after a 2-2 draw, the Tykes won 4-3 on penalties.
■ Barnsley have been successful in two of their three previous Football League play-off campaigns, winning promotion from League One in 200506 and 2015-16 – their one failure came at this level in 1999-00 under Dave Bassett, losing 4-2 to Ipswich Town in the final after overcoming Birmingham City in the semi-final.
■ This is Swansea City’s eighth different Football League play-off campaign, with only five teams participating in more (including 2020-21 entries).
They were knocked out in last season’s Championship play-offs by Brentford at the semi-final stage, last going up via the play-offs in 201011 under Brendan Rodgers in the Championship.
■ After losing just six of their first 35 league matches this season, Swansea City lost six of their final 11 matches in the Championship (W3 D2), failing to score in every defeat.