Getty Michael Smith of Sheffield Wednesday celebrates after scoring the team's first goal from a penalty kick during the Sky Bet League One Play-Off Semi-Final Second Leg match between Sheffield Wednesday and Peterborough United.
Barnsley and Sheffield Wednesday will clash at Wembley on Monday, May 29 in the Sky Bet League One semifinals, with a bid in the championship game at stake.
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In the United States, the match (10 a.m. ET start time) won’t be on TV, but anyone in the US can watch Barnsley vs Sheffield Wednesday live on ESPN+ right here:
ESPN+ includes dozens of other live sports, every 30-for-30 documentary and additional original content (both video and written) for $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year (or $13.99 per month for a bundle of all three of ESPN+, Disney+ and Hulu).
Once signed up for ESPN+, you can watch Barnsley vs Sheffield Wednesday live on the ESPN app or ESPN.com.
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Barnsley vs Sheffield Wednesday Preview
Sheff Wed is fresh from one of the most memorable comebacks in recent memory. Down 4-0 to Peterborough United after the first leg, Darren Moore’s squad their won its May 18 match, 5-1 before also winning 5-3 in the shootout to move on. Michael Smith, Lee Gregory, Reece James, Liam Palmer and Callum Paterson all scored for The Owls.
On the other side, Barnsley is fresh from a 1-0 victory over Bolton on May 19. Liam Kitching scored the game’s only goal in the 24th minute. Barnsley has won two of its last three games and manager Michael Duff thinks his squad could do some damage as underdogs heading into this one.
“You can dress it up, but they are older and have a lot more experience and have thousands more league appearances than what we have,” Duff told Yorkshire Live. “That might help them. It might not. Our youth and almost naivety might help us. We won’t know until the game pans out. There’s two distinct ways of playing. We know we can hurt them, but we also know that they are a huge club with big players and big players step up in moments a lot of the time. It’s enjoy the day as much as we can, but we are not going for a day out, but to win.”
Heading into the match, Moore had nothing but respect and praise for Duff.
“Am I surprised with the work he’s done at Barnsley? No,” Moore said about Duff. “Why am I not? Because he is thorough and meticulous with his work and a worker and sees and understands the game and he’s very astute with his approach in terms of how he sets his teams up and understanding the strengths and weaknesses. He’s shown a level of consistency with wonderful leadership qualities. He is clear and methodical in his approach and clear in his views.”
A few things that could be factors here: Barnsley has been a bit streaky of late, failing to score in two of its last five games. Also, the Reds have averaged 2.17 points a game playing at home, while Sheffield Wednesday had averaged 1.75 points per match at away games. If Sheff Wed stays hot and gets a goal or two early, a comeback could be difficult for Barnsley.
The Reds and The Owls have faced each other 18 times, with Sheff Wed winning seven, Barnsley winning five. Six of their matches have ended in draws.
Here’s a look at the potential starting lineups for both teams:
Barnsley possible starting lineup: Isted; Thomas, Kitching, Andersen; Williams, Kane, Phillips, Connell, Cadden; Cole, Tedic
Sheffield Wednesday possible starting lineup: Dawson; James, Ihiekwe, Iorfa; Patterson, Bannan, Palmer, Johnson; Windass; Gregory, Smith