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

Wigan Athletic welcome Barnsley to the DW Stadium on New Year’s Day, as two sides languishing in mid-table face off in League One.

With both teams hovering between playoff aspirations and relegation concerns, the contest could prove a telling marker for the second half of the campaign ahead.

Match preview

Wigan sit 12th in the table and arrive on the back of a solid 2-0 victory away at Burton Albion on Monday.

That result extended the Latics’ recent upturn, with Ryan Lowe’s side unbeaten in four of their last six matches in all competitions.

Occupying a precarious position in the standings, Wigan find themselves balancing hopes of pushing towards the playoff places while remaining wary of being dragged into a relegation scrap.

This mid-table meeting, therefore, represents a key litmus test for the Latics as they look to build momentum at the turn of the year.

Barnsley, meanwhile, travel to Greater Mancheste sitting 15th and struggling to regain consistency in the league.

Conor Hourihane’s side have managed just one win from their last six League One outings, most recently falling to a 2-0 defeat at home to Lincoln City.

Despite an underwhelming campaign, forward Davis Keillor-Dunn has been a standout performer, leading the division’s scoring charts with 11 goals.

Barnsley may also draw confidence from recent head-to-heads, with Wigan having won just one of the last seven meetings between the sides, that solitary success coming at Oakwell in November 2024.

Wigan Athletic League One form:

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Wigan Athletic form (all competitions):

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Barnsley League One form:

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Barnsley form (all competitions):

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Team News

Wigan are set to be without Matthew Smith, who will sit out the second of his three-match suspension after seeing red in the clash with Bradford.

Jensen Weir, who was suspended for Monday’s victory over Burton, is expected to return to the fold.

Ryan Trevitt remains unavailable as he continues to recover from a thigh issue, while Isaac Mabaya is still sidelined with an Achilles injury.

Barnsley, by contrast, head into the contest with no fresh injury concerns.

Adam Phillips returned to the squad against Mansfield Town on Boxing Day and has appeared as a substitute in the last two matches, putting himself in contention for a first start since his return.

Wigan Athletic possible starting lineup:

Tickle; Carragher, Aimson, Fox; Murray, Wright, Francois, Costelloe, Borges Rodrigues; Saydee, Bettoni

Barnsley possible starting lineup:

Cooper; Bland, Roberts, Shepherd, Earl; Phillips, Connell; Vickers, Kelly, Cleary; Keillor-Dunn

We say: Wigan Athletic 1- Barnsley

Both sides have lacked consistency in recent weeks, and with little separating them in mid-table, a tight contest looks likely. Wigan’s improvement may be checked by key absences, while Barnsley’s dip in form is offset by their attacking threat through Davis Keillor-Dunn, making a share of the spoils the most plausible outcome.

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