The Reds welcome The Black Cats to Oakwell on Tuesday night for a crunch clash in Sky Bet League One and we've got it covered here with our big match preview.
Following the weekend's victory against Accrington Stanley on home soil, Daniel Stendel's charges return to home action on Tuesday night when Jack Ross brings his Sunderland outfit to Oakwell in a Sky Bet League One promotion clash.
The 2-0 victory against Stanley on Saturday, coupled with Sunderland's inability to beat Wycombe Wanderers saw the Reds increase their lead over the Black Cats to four points ahead of Tuesday night's crunch meeting.
Full-back Dimitri Cavaré scored his first Oakwell goal in the win. The marauding defender slotted home from inside the box after a sublime pass through by Cauley Woodrow.
In terms of player availability on Tuesday evening, Stendel will still be without Cameron McGeehan and Jacob Brown due to their respective three-match bans.
But there are no injury concerns coming out of the Accrington match, as confirmed by Dale Tonge during his press conference on Monday morning.
As well as the thoughts of the Assistant Coach, striker Woodrow also spoke to the press to preview the Sunderland fixture.
You can watch both pre-match videos over on iFollow Barnsley.
Our visitors from the North East arrive in similarly impressive form. Their last-gasp leveller at Adams Park extended their own unbeaten league run to 14 games.
They have 10 points from a possible 12, and have lost just two games all season, and none in 2019.
In the opposition dugout on Tuesday will be Jack Ross. The 42-year-old Scotsman was appointed on Wearside last summer having been ultra-successful with St Mirren in his homeland, guiding the Buddies back to the Scottish Premier League and being named Manager of the Year by the PFA.
A former central defender in his playing days, spent largely in Scotland barring a season with Hartlepool United in 2004, it's Ross' coaching career that has brought him to the attention of the masses, and with Sunderland riding high in Sky Bet League One, losing just two games all season, the Falkirk native has easily made the transition into English coaching and is hoping to earn another promotion.
This will be the 29th meeting between the two clubs. Our visitors on Tuesday have the upper hand since our first ever clash in 1958 ended in a 2-2 draw. The Wearsiders have won 16 of the fixtures to the Reds' 10.
It was a 4-2 defeat earlier this season for Barnsley at The Stadium of Light. Two goals from Kieffer Moore looked likely to rescue the Reds, but a late goal put paid to a dramatic comeback, having been 3-0 down at one stage.
Last season in this same fixture, the score was 3-0, to Barnsley. Goals from Ike Ugbo, Harvey Barnes and George Moncur helped the Reds to a comfortable victory in the Sky Bet Championship.
Tickets are selling fast for this one, you can order online, by phone or in person by calling into the Reds Superstore.
If you can't make it to Oakwell, we will have LIVE coverage via the Match Centre on iFollow Barnsley. Tune in before 7:45pm for all the build-up followed by all the action in this crucial clash.
