Preview: Bromley vs Barnet - prediction, team news, lineups

Bromley and Barnet will face off in round two of the 2025-26 League Two season on Saturday in a London derby at Hayes Lane.

Both sides are aiming for their first wins of this campaign, though the hosts have a point on board compared to the visitors who are yet to register any point.

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Match preview

Bromley missed out on promotion to League One last season and were eager to begin their new campaign with greater intent as they look to avoid a repeat of that disappointment.

The Ravens finished 11th in League Two, just four points adrift of the final playoff spot, despite ending the campaign four places below the top seven, a gap they appear determined to bridge this season.

Andy Woodman’s side opened their campaign away at Shrewsbury, where they battled to a goalless draw, but while they returned with a point, the manager believed his team could have taken more from the match had it not been for an unusual and disruptive stoppage in the first half.

That break in momentum came in the 26th minute, when referee Scott Chalkley suffered an injury and had to be replaced by fourth official Niall Felton, and with Felton stepping up, Shrewsbury were forced to appeal over the public address system for a qualified replacement to assume fourth official duties. 

The appeal yielded an unlikely solution, as level-five referee Alan Cork stepped in to assist despite only being certified to officiate matches in the 10th tier and below, something Woodman labelled "embarrassing" post-match.

Bromley will hope for no off-field distractions when they welcome Barnet to Hayes Lane on Friday evening, in what will be their first-ever meeting in the Football League. 

Prior encounters have come in the National League and FA Trophy, and while these contests have typically been tight, Bromley hold a slight edge with five wins against four losses across 13 previous meetings, including a draw and a win from the most recent two.

Barnet earned promotion after a historic National League campaign last season, amassing a club-record 102 points under Dean Brennan to return to the Football League for the first time since 2018. 

However, their return has not begun smoothly, as they were knocked out of the EFL Cup preliminary round on penalties by Newport after a dramatic 2-2 draw.

They also suffered a 2-0 home defeat to Fleetwood in their opening league fixture, conceding once in each half despite enjoying more possession and chances.

Barnet are now winless in their last three matches in all competitions, a run that stretches back to a 1-1 draw with Wycombe in their final preseason outing.

Bromley League Two form:

Bromley form (all competitions):

Barnet League Two form:

Barnet form (all competitions):

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Team News

Marcus Dinanga returned from an Achilles injury that kept him out for 308 days, featuring from the start in the draw on opening day. 

The striker is expected to keep his place in the front two alongside strike partner Michael Cheek, as both players look to help Bromley score their first league goal this season.

Woodman played a back three that featured Deji Elerewe, Bryon Webster and Kyle Cameron, the trio who are expected to keep their spot for this clash.

Barnet manager Brennan will likely match the three-man defence system, maintaining the structure from the loss to Fleetwood.

New signings Ollie Kensdale and Adam Senior both started in defence alongside Danny Collinge, who has been at the club since 2022.

Joe Hugill, the striker on loan from Manchester United, will lead the attack once again, as the visitors search for their first league goal of the season.

Bromley possible starting lineup:

Smith; Elerewe, Webster, Cameron; Pinnock, Charles, Thompson, Ifill; Whitely; Cheek, Dinanga

Barnet possible starting lineup:

Evans; Collinge, Kensdale, Senior; Kanu, Hartigan, Brunt, Galvin; Browne, Hugill, Glover

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We say: Bromley 2-1 Barnet

Bromley are more experienced at this stage, with Barnet still adjusting to the level after only securing promotion at the end of last season, a factor that will likely make the difference here, with the hosts showing greater grit and know-how to edge what could be a closely fought contest.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

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