Preview: Stevenage vs Barnsley - prediction, team news, lineups

Both aiming to bounce back from defats at the weekend, Stevenage and Barnsley will square off at the Lamex Stadium on Tuesday.

The hosts now sit seven points outside the top six in the League One table after consecutive losses, including one in the reverse fixture in late January, while their visitors find themselves 15th after their latest setback.

Match preview

Stevenage return to League One action on Tuesday aiming to get back to winning ways and begin narrowing their gap to the playoff places.

After enjoying a strong first half to the season, Alex Revell's side have seen their top-six hopes take a major hit in recent months, going winless in eight league outings between mid-December and late January.

The Boro were finally able to end that slump with a home win over Peterborough United, but they have failed to build on that since, going on to suffer another pair of consecutive defeats, firstly losing 3-1 in a trip to Barnsley having fallen 2-0 down to Tuesday's visitors and pulled one back through Dan Kemp.

A trip to strugglers Northampton Town then followed at the weekend, and Revell's men again came away as 3-1 losers, having levelled in the first half through Jamie Reid before Tom Eaves and Sam Hoskins scored for the hosts.

Now sitting ninth and seven points outside of the top six, having won just one of their last 11 league matches, Stevenage will hope to get their campaign back on track and begin climbing back towards the playoff place.

Their visitors head to the Lamex Stadium also bidding to get back to winning ways in League One after a loss at the weekend.

The 2025-26 season, their first under the permanent management of Conor Hourihane, has been a disappointing one thus far for Barnsley, who sit 15th with 37 points on the board from 27 games.

Indeed, the Reds have now managed just two wins and nine points from their last 10 league outings dating back to mid-December.

The most recent of those wins came in the reverse fixture at home to Stevenage in late January, winning 3-1 thanks to David McGoldrick's opener and Davis Keillor-Dunn's brace, but they would go on to draw with struggling Northampton and lose 3-2 away at Bolton Wanderers last time out, having fallen 3-0 down before first-half goals from Luca Connell and Adam Phillips.

Now sitting 15th in League One, five points above the drop zone but just two outside of the top half, Barnsley will hope to complete a quickfire double over the hosts on Tuesday and begin climbing towards the right end of the division with another victory on Tuesday.

Stevenage League One form:

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Barnsley League One form:

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Team News

Stevenage are set to remain without defender Jasper Pattenden and attacker Tyreece Simpson through injuries on Tuesday.

Reid will continue to lead the attack, having scored his ninth league goal of the season in the weekend's defeat.

He should again be joined by January arrival Harry Cornick, with additional support from Kemp ahead of the midfield duo of Harvey White and Daniel Phillips.

Barnsley defenders Georgie Gent and Josh Earl remained ruled out by injuries ahead of Tuesday's trip.

Following the deadline day exit of talismanic forward Davis Keillor-Dunn, veteran McGoldrick should again lead the line with Tom Bradshaw also hoping to get the nod up top having rejoined the club in a deadline day move of their own.

Adam Phillips should return from the start, having come off the bench to net his sixth league goal of the season on Saturday, while Mael De Gevigney and Nathaniel Ogbeta will hope to earn starts at the back.

Stevenage possible starting lineup:

Marschall; Goode, Sweeney, Freestone; James-Wildin, Phillips, White, Earley; Kemp; Cornick, Reid

Barnsley possible starting lineup:

Goodman; O'Keefe, De Gevigney, Shepherd, Watson; Banks, Phillips, Connell, Cleary; Bradshaw, McGoldrick

We say: Stevenage 1-1 Barnsley

With both teams somewhat out of sorts and low on confidence, we anticipate a tight encounter on Tuesday and see a share of the points as the most likely outcome at the Lamex Stadium after the visitors' home win in late January.

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