Barnsley vs Derby Prediction & Preview: Revitalised Rams to Edge Past Tykes

Barnsley were outplayed by Brentford in front of the Sky cameras on Sunday afternoon and the Tykes must find a way to bounce back against Derby

Derby had a tumultuous week off-the-field, yet they responded in perfect fashion at Pride Park on Saturday. The Rams will be looking to make it back-to-back wins for the first time this campaign.

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Barnsley vs Derby Preview – 02/10/2019: Championship

Barnsley are now winless since the opening day of the season, and Daniel Stendel’s men have picked up just five points from their opening nine games. At the weekend, they were comfortably outplayed by Brentford at Oakwell with the German boss bemoaning his side’s defensive performance. The hosts gave away some sloppy goals, and worryingly, they’ve now conceded six goals in their last three Championship outings.

Although they have been creating a few chances, they’ve scored just once in their last four matches, and although they’re averaging over 13 shots per match – opportunities are not being converted.

Despite their off-field issues, Derby got back to winning ways on Saturday afternoon against Birmingham. The Rams rode their luck at times with Lukas Jutkiewicz missing a penalty in the second half. Phillip Cocu’s men eventually struck late to secure all three points, and the Dutchman was delighted with his side’s response.

It was their first victory since August 3rd, although they are still searching for their second clean sheet of the campaign.

 

Tykes Lack of Firepower

Cauley Woodrow is Barnsley’s top goalscorer with two this season, with the striker averaging three shots per game. He needs some support from his team-mates if the Tykes are to start climbing the table. Malik Wilks has not been anywhere near as productive as last seen although he is testing the opposition goalkeeper on a regular basis.

Barnsley have scored just one goal in their last four games, although they are coming up against a side who can’t keep clean sheets. The visitors are also without Richard Keogh for 15 months, and will be operating with a reshuffled back-line. Curtis Davis is an excellent professional, although he’s not getting any younger, and this the perfect opportunity for the hosts to test the Derby defence.

 

Chris Martin’s Resurgence

Chris Martin has revealed that ulcerative colitis has prevented him from getting back to his best over the last few years. He endured miserable loan spells at Hull and Reading although he looked liked a man reborn in recent weeks. The Scottish striker has netted two in two for the Rams and took just two minutes to get off the mark at the weekend. He is likely to feature alongside Martyn Waghorn in this game, and could be a good bet to continue his fine run of form.

January 2017 was the last time that he netted in back-to-back matches, when playing for Fulham, and he is a decent bet at 23/10 with 888Sport to notch anytime.

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Does Jamie Paterson Deserve a Start?

Loanee Jamie Paterson has been used in moderation so far, and the Bristol City man kept his cool when he found himself through on goal on Saturday afternoon. He’s scored one goal and claimed one assist in just 179 minutes of football, and may just have done enough to persuade Phillip Cocu to give him a start.

He’s 4/1 with Betfair to score anytime in this game.

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Barnsley vs Derby Betting Tip

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Read More: See the rest of this week’s football match previews from the EFL matches.

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