BIRMINGHAM CITY PREVIEW

26 August 2021

Everything you need to know about our home clash this weekend, as we take on Blues here at Oakwell!

It feels somewhat strange to be talking about a point at Queens Park Rangers with a tinge of disappointment, but that's certainly the case after last weekend's trip to the capital.

The Reds stormed into a 2-0 half-time lead at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium last Saturday. First half strikes from Dominik Frieser and Cauley Woodrow (his 50th for the Reds) had Barnsley in complete control of proceedings in Shepherd's Bush.

But after failing to add a third goal when opportunities were wasted, the Reds dropped deeper and reverted to direct football as the Rangers onslaught began. Ultimately - and despite the dubious nature of the first Hoops goal - the Reds were fortunate in the end to get out of the game with anything.

It is a solid point though, with all context removed from the match itself. And it will look an even better result if Markus Schopp's side can round off the opening month of the season with a home victory this Saturday against Birmingham City in a 3pm kick-off.

Interviews

SCHOPP PRE-BLUES

26 August 2021

Our visitors from the second city are in good form themselves, having made a fairly bright start to the new campaign so far. They currently sit in 8th position, three points better off than the Reds, owing much to last weekend's outstanding win away at Luton Town.

An early goal from former Reds defender Marc Roberts was the ideal start for Lee Bowyer’s side last Saturday and they went on to annihilate their Bedfordshire opponents, running out 5-0 winners.

Like the Reds, they've lost only the solitary game in the Sky Bet Championship so far, and also like Barnsley, that came on home soil when Bournemouth scored two goals in the last 15 minutes to take the victory at St. Andrew's.

So they arrive at Oakwell this weekend in excellent form and with the evergreen strike partnership of Scott Hogan and Lukas Jutkiewicz now accompanied by one of the division’s most exciting players in Manchester United loanee Tahith Chong. The 21-year-old Dutchman has been one of the standout performers at this embryonic stage of the season and could prove an inspired piece of business as the season rolls on.

Their last five seasons have seen them finish 19th, 19th, 17th, 20th and 18th in the Sky Bet Championship but a feelgood factor has emerged since the arrival of Bowyer towards the back-end of last season.

Interviews

FRIESER PRE-BLUES

26 August 2021

They'll be hoping for a better result than the one they left Oakwell with last term. In what was a real ugly battle, the Reds edged the game 1-0 back in March thanks to Daryl Dike's Goal of the Season. That completed a league double over Blues, having beaten them earlier in the campaign 2-1 away from home.

Saturday sees referee Matthew Donohue take the whistle. The Southend native makes his seventh trip to Oakwell, having previously overseen three wins and three draws here, with the most recent being our 2-1 success against Blackburn Rovers back in February of this year.

He's taken charge of four games this season, showing six bookings and two red cards.

With the fixture being broadcast by some overseas networks, there are no video passes via iFollow Barnsley for our overseas supporters, unless you're in one of the following parts of the world:

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Audio commentary is available with Matt Bailey and Callum Cooper on the mic from 2.45pm.

For further information on iFollow for this season, and how to activate seasonal subscriptions, please click the link below.

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Match Reports

REDS HELD BY BLUES AT OAKWELL

28 August 2021

The spoils were shared in South Yorkshire this afternoon in a scrappy affair to round off the opening month of the season.

A first half Callum Styles special was cancelled out by Lukas Jutkiewicz before half-time in a game of few clear opportunities.

The Reds had lined up with the same starting XI for a third game in succession, and began brightly in the late August sunshine at Oakwell.

With just two minutes played, a poor headed clearance from Blues dropped kindly for Reds' captain Cauley Woodrow but his attempted volley from all of 50 yards out whistled a foot wide of Matija Šarkić's near post.

But just five minutes further on, the Reds did go ahead and in stunning fashion. It was another fine ball over the top by Romal Palmer that Dominik Frieser scampered after, and he worked the ball to Clarke Oduor inside the box who teed up the arriving Styles who thumped the ball into the top left-hand corner from just outside the box.

The game petered out quickly in terms of it being a spectacle, with the away side's incessant long balls and Barnsley's inability to make things stick in forward areas. But the backline were dealing with Blues aerial threat for the most part, and only a mistake allowed the visitors back into the game.

Birmingham were trying to work the ball into the box when it spooned into the air off a leg and Toby Sibbick was unaware of Jutkiewicz right beside him, with the experienced frontman taking the ball presented to him and firing low and hard beyond Brad Collins from six yards out.

HALF-TIME: Reds 1-1 Birmingham

The away side's aerial dominance only increased after the interval, with former Reds defender Marc Roberts launching long throws from all angles, but nothing would drop for Blues.

But chances for Barnsley weren't coming either, and only a long-range Woodrow strike bothered away 'keeper Šarkić who gathered at the second attempt.

The visitors carved open the better chances as the contest opened up towards the end, and Scott Hogan should definitely have done better with a header at the near post following Jéremié Bela's perfect left-wing cross.

As time ran out, Blues sub Chuks Aneke and winger Bela should maybe have made more of a loose ball inside the box, but with Collins trying his best to block the efforts, the ball somehow ended up poked well over the bar.

It was a game marred by numerous niggly fouls and bizarre decisions from the referee and the icing on that particular cake came in the last minute as the lively Oduor was poleaxed on the edge of the box as he ran through one-on-one with the last man.

Another point on the board for Barnsley heading into the international break.

FULL-TIME: Reds 1-1 Birmingham

Collins, Brittain, Sibbick (Moon), Helik, Kitching, Styles, Benson, Palmer, Frieser (Adeboyejo), Oduor, Woodrow.

Unused: Walton, B.Williams, Halme, Miller, Thompson.