Preview: Barnsley vs Wigan Athletic - prediction, team news, lineups

Barnsley and Wigan Athletic will square off at Oakwell on Saturday in the first round of the EFL Cup and both teams' first competitive game of the 2026-27 season.

Both are on the back of mid-table finishes in the 2025-26 League One term, with the hosts back under the management of returning Daniel Stendel.

Match preview

Barnsley head into their first competitive game of 2026-27 on Saturday under new management after a summer of much change at Oakwell.

In their fourth straight season in League One last time around, the South Yorkshire outfit finished 15th having again failed to mount a playoff bid under Conor Hourihane.

That was despite a strong attacking record, as the Reds conceded the second most goals in the division with 73 while keeping a league-low tally of just four clean sheets.

The culmination of the term saw the club part ways with Conor Hourihane and turn back to Daniel Stendel, who departed in 2019, and the German boss has overseen a busy summer of incomings and outgoings alongside six friendlies, finishing with wins over Scarborough Athletic and Lincoln City and a draw against Guiseley.

Barnsley will now look to get up and running under the returning boss with a cup victory at Oakwell on Saturday and kickstart an improved campaign around the right end of the League One table.

Their visitors, meanwhile, head into 2026-27 for a first full term under Gary Caldwell after a similarly tricky League One season.

Wigan Athletic ended the third-tier campaign three points and one spot behind their hosts in 16th place, having started the season under Ryan Lowe before Gary Caldwell returned to the dugout in February.

Unlike the hosts, the Latics' struggles came in attack, scoring just 49 goals in their 46 matches - the fewest outside of the division's bottom three.

Then turning their focus to 2026-27 with the hopes of improvement, the Lancashire side experienced a mixed pre-season, losing to Port Vale and beating AFC Fylde before drawing with Southport and finishing in a 2-0 away defeat to fourth-tier Grimsby Town.

Now heading into a full term with Caldwell at the helm, Wigan Athletic will hope for a fresh start beginning with an away cup victory to book their second-round spot.

Barnsley form (all competitions):

W L L W W D

Wigan Athletic form (all competitions):

L W D L

Team News

Barnsley's squad heading into 2026-27 is far different to the one that ended last season, with key attackers David McGoldrick and Adam Phillips among those to depart alongside Marc Roberts, Eoghan O'Connell and Tennai Watson, while goalkeeper Owen Goodman and winger Scott Banks saw loan spells at Oakwell come to an end.

They have been busy adding to Stendel's ranks, though, with the likes of Cameron McGeehan, Tyrese Noslin, Clayton Taylor, Makenzie Kirk, Amani Richards, Sam Gale and loanee goalkeeper Cieran Slicker arriving at Oakwell.

Slicker should take Goodman's number one spot this term, while Kirk, Richards, Noslin and Taylor will all compete to feature in a new-look attack alongside Reyes Cleary, who managed seven goals and 13 assists for the Reds in League One last season.

Wigan Athletic have also seen plenty of squad changes over the summer, with first-choice goalkeeper Sam Tickle departing alongside Will Aimson, Jason Kerr, Tyrese Francois and Harrison Bettoni.

Incomings, meanwhile, include the permanent capture of Ryan Trevitt, who spent last season on loan with the club, and the arrivals of Joe Walsh, Max Power, Connor Barrett, Sonny Perkins and Akeel Higgins.

Walsh will replace Tickle between the sticks, while in the absence of Aimson and Kerr, who partnered up at the back for large parts of the last two years, James Carragher should play a more important defensive role alongside the likes of Morgan Fox and new arrival Barrett.

Barnsley possible starting lineup:

Slicker; O'Keeffe, Gale, Earl, Gent; Connell, McGeehan; Noslin, Yoganathan, Cleary; Kirk

Wigan Athletic possible starting lineup:

Walsh; Barrett, Carragher, Fox; Perkins, Power, Mellish, Weir, Murray; Costelloe, McManaman

We say: Barnsley 1-0 Wigan Athletic

Wigan Athletic's attacking ranks, which already underperformed last year, look depleted heading into 2026-27, and with little momentum on the opening day against a Barnsley side who have strengthened well and will focus on defensive improvement under their new boss, we tip the hosts in a low-scoring affair.

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