Promotion hopefuls Barnsley will be out to record a fifth League One win on the bounce when they travel to the Kassam Stadium to face Oxford United on Saturday afternoon.
Karl Robinson's side played out a 1-1 draw with Accrington Stanley in their most recent match, while the visitors bested Peterborough United 2-1.
Match preview
© Reuters
The less that is said about Oxford United's start to the season the better, but long-serving head coach Karl Robinson has turned his side's fortunes around in recent weeks, and the U's are now unbeaten in nine games in all competitions.
That resilient streak includes a run of seven League One games without defeat - although they have only won two of them, with the other five ending all square - and they failed to convert one point into all three during last weekend's battle with Accrington Stanley.
Oxford took the lead on the 58-minute mark through James Henry, but a 40-yard thunderbolt from Ethan Hamilton rescued a point for Accrington Stanley in the 84th minute, preventing Robinson's side from jumping into the top half as they sit 14th in the standings.
Only six points separates Oxford from the playoff positions - such is the congested nature of the League One table - but Robinson was left "furious" after warning his side about the prowess of Hamilton's left foot, which they failed to heed.
That equalizer for Accrington continued a miserable defensive streak for Oxford, who have only managed to keep one clean sheet in their last 18 matches in all competitions, and only one of their last six League One fixtures at the Kassam Stadium has ended in victory.
© Reuters
In contrast, Barnsley have experienced little trouble getting over the line in recent games, and the Tykes' push for an immediate return to the Championship is gathering pace amid a four-game winning run in the third tier.
Following consecutive successes over Forest Green Rovers, Shrewsbury Town and MK Dons, Barnsley travelled to take on fellow playoff pushers Peterborough last Friday and ran out 2-1 winners, with Luca Connell and Adam Phillips striking either side of Jack Taylor's leveller.
The Tykes - who memorably forced their way into the Championship playoffs in 2020-21 - are the best of the rest as they sit fourth in the table on 33 points, but the runaway top three of Plymouth Argyle (43), Ipswich Town (42) and Sheffield Wednesday (41) all hold unassailable leads over Michael Duff's men.
Sticky patches of form in August and October have been blots on the notebook for Barnsley, but the Tykes have now won six of their last seven matches in all competitions, and they have conceded just two goals in their last seven League One games away from home.
Saturday's game will mark just the fourth competitive meeting between Oxford and Barnsley since the turn of the millennium and the first since the 2018-19 League One season, where the Tykes stormed to a 4-0 win at home before being held to a 2-2 draw on the U's turf.
Team News
© Reuters
Oxford's treatment room is still well-occupied heading into the festive period, as Yanic Wildschut, Oisin Smyth, Sam Baldock and Swansea City loanee Kyle Joseph all remain out of contention.
Joseph is unlikely to play again before the New Year due to his ankle problem, but fellow attacker Josh Murphy was able to come off the bench against Stanley for his first appearance since October 15.
The 27-year-old, who is the twin brother of Newcastle United's Jacob Murphy, could now threaten Marcus Browne's place in the attack, but Robinson will be expected to keep changes to a minimum.
Meanwhile, Barnsley did not come out of their clash with Peterborough unscathed, as centre-back Tom Edwards came off injured on the hour mark before his replacement, Josh Benson, also had to be withdrawn just 17 minutes after being introduced.
Duff did not provide an update on the pair's condition after the game, but he singled out Robbie Cundy for praise after he replaced Benson, so the 25-year-old could be considered for a start if Edwards is not passed fit.
Jordan Williams completed the full 90 minutes last Friday after overcoming a hamstring problem, while James Norwood was also fit enough to come off the bench, but Matty Wolfe, Jordan Helliwell, Slobodan Tedic and Luke Thomas are all nursing injuries.
Oxford United possible starting lineup:
Eastwood; Anderson, Moore, Findlay, Brown; Bate, McGuane, Brannagan; Henry, Taylor, Browne
Barnsley possible starting lineup:
Collins; Cundy, Andersen, Kitching; Williams, Connell, Kane, Phillips, Cadden; Aitchison, Cole
We say: Oxford United 1-2 Barnsley
Putting the ball into the back of the net has not been a problem for Oxford United, but keeping the opposition at bay is not their forte, and a goal-happy Barnsley are sure to take advantage of such frailties.
The Tykes' stellar defensive record on the road should also come into play, and even with a couple more injury concerns to work around, we still expect Duff's men to travel back to South Yorkshire with another three points in the bag.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Ben Knapton
