Two of the division's form teams clash on Saturday as Barnsley host Swansea City at Oakwell having lost out in the return fixture just before Christmas.

The Tykes come into this fixture off the back of a 1-0 loss to league-leaders Norwich City last weekend, while Swansea were able to overcome promotion rivals Watford at Vicarage Road.

Match preview

Barnsley manager Valerien Ismael pictured in October 2020 © Reuters

This encounter is set to be a fascinating affair with both sides close to the summit of the form table, each with four wins in their last six games.

It is fair to say the hosts have exceeded expectations this season. They currently sit in ninth place, having picked up 34 points from their 23 league fixtures so far.

As a result, they are only three points away from a playoff spot, something that would have looked unlikely at the start of the season having narrowly avoided relegation last time out.

The Tykes' fruitful form can in part be put down to their strong performances at home, and should they win on Saturday, it will be the first time they have won four consecutive home games since 2007 - truly a sign that this side are going in the right direction.

Swansea City manager Steve Cooper pictured on January 9, 2021 © Reuters

Steve Cooper will be delighted with his team's form of late and will feel his side are worthy of their position in the league, where they trail leaders Norwich by four points.

As well as having players that can unlock some of the division's best defences, such as Andre Ayew and Jamal Lowe, the Swans actually have the best defence in the league, having conceded only 13 goals so far this season.

In fact, that is the fewest conceded by a team after 23 games since 2015-16, when Middlesbrough had conceded 12 at this stage.

Following the matchup with Barnsley, Cooper's men travel to Blackburn Rovers and Rotherham United, before then locking horns with the Canaries in what will be a much-anticipated affair.

Barnsley Championship form: WWLWWL
Barnsley form (all competitions): WLWWLW

Swansea City Championship form: WLWWDW
Swansea City form (all competitions): LWWDWW

Team News

Barnsley manager Valerien Ismael pictured in October 2020 © Reuters

Michal Helik and Cauley Woodrow are both expected to start after netting the winning goals in their 2-0 win over Tranmere Rovers in the FA Cup at the weekend.

However, the hosts will be without three players due to injury, including fan-favourite Ben Williams.

The Swans will have to continue without Morgan Gibbs-White from now on after the youngster was called back to parent club Wolverhampton Wanderers last week.

The move opens the door for the likes of Korey Smith and Yan Dhanda to compete for that attacking midfielder role in the starting XI.

Barnsley possible starting lineup:
Walton; Sollbauer, Helik, Andersen; Brittain, Kane, Mowatt, Styles; Adeboyejo, Woodrow, Chaplin

Swansea City possible starting lineup:
Woodman; Cabango, Latibeaudiere, Guehi; Roberts, Smith, Fulton, Grimes, Bidwell; Lowe, Ayew

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We say: Barnsley 1-2 Swansea City

Barnsley have a gritty determination about them but even that might not be enough to see them to three points this weekend. Swansea are steeped in Premier League quality, and though Barnsley may well get a goal, the odds are in favour of the visitors, who will want to keep the pressure on Norwich.

Top betting tip

Our expert tipster partners at Sporita.com are predicting a double chance bet on a home win or an away win in this match. Click here to find out what else they are predicting for this game and for more of their tried-and-tested football tips.

Data Analysis

Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Swansea City win with a probability of 43%. A win for Barnsley had a probability of 29.53% and a draw had a probability of 27.5%.

The most likely scoreline for a Swansea City win was 0-1 with a probability of 12.3%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 1-2 (8.59%) and 0-2 (8.17%). The likeliest Barnsley win was 1-0 (9.73%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 1-1 (12.92%). The actual scoreline of 0-2 was predicted with an 8.2% likelihood. Our data analysis correctly predicted that Swansea City would win this match.