Preview: Doncaster Rovers vs Barnsley - prediction, team news, lineups

Barnsley will make the short trip to the Club Doncaster Sports Village on Saturday to take on Doncaster Rovers in the second game of the League One season.

Both teams will look to put their first points on the board after beginning with defeats in the opening round of games last weekend.

Match preview

Doncaster Rovers head into their second game of the League One season on Saturday looking to put their first points on the board at the Club Doncaster Sports Village.

They finished 14th in their first season back in the third tier last time around, ending on 60 points - eight clear of the relegation zone - having won 17 and lost 20 of their 46 games.

Aiming to build on that safe finish under Grant McCann, the Yorkshire outfit turned their focus to 2026-27, beginning in the EFL Cup first round against Stockport County, and progressing as the game ended 1-1 thanks to Alfie May's goal and they prevailed in a penalty shootout.

The League One season then kicked off with a trip to Mansfield Town last weekend, and the Rovers fell short, leaving empty-handed in a 2-1 defeat despite levelling early in the second half through Jack Senior, as Louis Reed scored the decisive goal for their hosts 16 minutes from time.

Doncaster Rovers will now look to put that opening day right on home turf and record their first three-point haul at the second time of asking.

They meet a visiting side in a similar position ahead of the South Yorkshire Derby, having started with a cup win and a league defeat.

On the back of an underwhelming 2025-26 campaign, in which they finished 15th to make it back-to-back seasons well outside the playoffs after consecutive top-six finishes the previous two years, Barnsley opted to replace Conor Hourihane with Daniel Stendel, who previously led them between 2018 and 2019 and oversaw a promotion from League One.

They saw plenty of squad change over the summer and began on the back of a productive pre-season with an EFL Cup tie against Wigan Athletic at home, drawing 1-1 thanks to Cameron McGeehan's equaliser and also winning their penalty shootout.

Stendel's first league game at the helm then came at home to newly-promoted Bromley last Saturday, and the Reds fell to a disappointing 1-0 defeat as Victor Adeboyejo scored the only goal 20 minutes from time.

Now heading out on the road for the first time in competitive action under the returning boss, Barnsley will hope to replicate last season's 2-1 win in Doncaster and get up and running.

Doncaster Rovers League One form:

Doncaster Rovers form (all competitions):

W L

Barnsley League One form:

Barnsley form (all competitions):

W L

Team News

Doncaster Rovers are set to remain without new defender James Husband alongside Matty Pearson and Francis Okoronkwo, all of whom have missed the first two games of the season.

McCann should stick with the new shape which featured at Mansfield with Sean Grehan, Neill Byrne and Jay McGrath lining up in a back three.

Harry Clifton, Brandon Hanlan, Hakeeb Adelakun and Jordan Thomas are all challenging to come in at the top end of the pitch, but key man Owen Bailey may again join Isaac Hutchinson in support of striker Alfie May, who scored on debut in the EFL Cup.

Daniel Stendel may opt to make changes to the Barnsley team that lost at home to Bromley in their league curtain-raiser.

Cameron McGeehan, who returned the club after six years away over the summer, has been given the armband and will again join mainstay Luca Connell in the engine room.

The summer departures of David McGoldrick and Adam Phillips, as well as the end of several loans, have left the Reds lighter in attack, and Portsmouth loanee Makenzie Kirk may come in to lead the line from the outset, allowing Reyes Cleary to return to the wing.

Doncaster Rovers possible starting lineup:

Simkin; Grehan, Byrne, McGrath; Sterry, Gotts, Broadbent, Senior; Bailey, Hutchinson; May

Barnsley possible starting lineup:

Ravenhill; O'Keeffe, Gale, Earl, Kay; McGeehan, Connell; Noslin, Kelly, Cleary; Kirk

We say: Doncaster Rovers 2-1 Barnsley

With both sides keen to put a first win on the board at the weekend, we anticipate a hotly-contested South Yorkshire Derby.

Doncaster Rovers perhaps look better equipped to kickstart their season with more quality throughout their ranks, particularly at the top end of the pitch, and we fancy them to take the three points on home turf.

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