Preview: Barnsley vs Burton Albion - prediction, team news, lineups

Both aiming to make it back-to-back victories to kick off the League One season after winning starts last weekend, Barnsley and Burton Albion will square off at Oakwell on Saturday.

The hosts began with an impressive away victory over Plymouth Argyle, while their visitors got the better of Mansfield Town in their curtain-raiser.

Match preview

Barnsley will play their first home league game of the League One season at Oakwell on Saturday in search of continuing a perfect start to their campaign.

They begin a first full season under the management of Conor Hourihane, who took temporary charge at the back end of a disappointing 2024-25 term, in which the Reds eventually finished 12th on 61 points from their 46 outings, being the first time they missed out on the playoffs in a three-year stay in England's third tier thus far.

Nonetheless, the South Yorkshire side opted to give Hourihane the reins permanently heading into the new season with their sights set on returning to the promotion fight, and after a mixed pre-season schedule they enjoyed a dream start last weekend.

A tough trip to newly-relegated Plymouth Argyle awaited, and the Reds prevailed in a 3-1 triumph, initially leading 2-0 through Adam Phillips and a Brendan Wiredu own goal, only to have their lead halved and be reduced to 10 men around the hour mark, but Davis Keillor-Dunn would take their cushion back to two and seal the points four minutes from time.

With plenty of confidence to take from that opening-day triumph, Barnsley will now aim to make it six points from two outings with a home victory at the weekend.

Their visitors, meanwhile, make the trip to Yorkshire in search of a second straight victory of their own to start the campaign in style.

Burton Albion headed into the 2025-26 League One campaign under the guidance of Gary Bowyer, who guided them to safety against all odds last time around having taken charge in December when the Brewers sat on just 12 points from 19 games.

They would go on to escape the bottom four by earning 35 points from 27 league outings under the new boss, eventually finishing a single point above the drop zone, and Bowyer's men enjoyed a winning start to their eighth straight third-tier season last weekend.

The Brewers hosted Mansfield Town and took all three points, having led 2-0 through a Charlie Webster brace and stood strong for a 2-1 victory after Baily Cargill pulled one back for the visitors 14 minutes from time.

Now hoping to kick on this term and avoid another fight for survival, Burton Albion will go in search of an impressive win on the road on Saturday to make it a perfect start in League One.

Barnsley League One form:

Burton Albion League One form:

Team News

Conor Hourihane is unable to deploy an unchanged Barnsley XI from last week's victory, with defender Jack Shepherd suspended after his red card, while centre-back partner Marc Roberts was forced off in the first half against Plymouth and will also miss out.

Given those absences in the middle of the back line, Connor Barratt should come in to join Mael Durand de Gevigney, who started on the right-hand side at the weekend, likely leaving 19-year-old Jonathan Bland to deputise in that spot.

Jon Russell will hope to earn a starting spot in midfield, but Hourihane may stick with exciting youngster Vimal Yoganathan alongside key men Luca Connell and Adam Phillips, while Caylan Vickers should again join David McGoldrick and Davis Keillor-Dunn in attack.

Burton Albion, on the other hand, may be unchanged from their opening-day victory, with Charlie Webster bound to again play a key role in the middle of a 3-4-3 setup having scored the crucial brace last time out.

Summer arrival Jake Beesley should again lead the line with support from Fabio Tavares and JJ McKiernan, both of whom have returned to the club after ending last season on loan with the Brewers.

Kyran Lofthouse will line up on the right-hand side against the club he departed in the summer, having also joined Bowyer's side on loan initially in January, while Udoka Godwin-Malife, Jasper Moon and Toby Sibbick will again line up in a back three.

Barnsley possible starting lineup:

Cooper; Bland, De Gevigney, Barratt, Earl; Phillips, Connell, Yoganathan; Vickers, McGoldrick, Keillor-Dunn

Burton Albion possible starting lineup:

Amissah; Godwin-Malife, Moon, Sibbick; Lofthouse, Chauke, Webster, Armer; McKiernan, Beesley, Tavares

We say: Barnsley 2-1 Burton Albion

Burton Albion do look well set up for a much-improved campaign under the guidance of Bowyer from the outset, but we see them falling just short against a strong Barnsley side who are bound to have confidence from an impressive opening-day away win.

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