Swansea City vs Barnsley prediction, preview, team news and more | EFL Championship playoffs 2020-21

Following their first-leg defeat, Barnsley will be aiming to turn the tie on its head when they take on Swansea City in the Championship playoff semi-final second leg at the Liberty Stadium on Saturday.

The hosts fought hard for a slender 1-0 win in the first leg. They will look to defend their narrow lead in this tie and make it to their first playoff final in three years.

In an end-to-end affair at the Oakwell Stadium, Andre Ayew's 39th-minute strike was all that separated both sides as the visitors stole a vital win.

The Swans have failed to gain promotion into the English top-flight since their relegation back in 2018 and will be determined to end this poor run this season.

🎟 After a limited number of tickets became available for Saturday’s play-off semi-final against Barnsley, the club will be contacting supporters who entered the original ballot to offer them a ticket.👉 https://t.co/yV1phWwLd6 pic.twitter.com/9QLDFZJdRS

— Swansea City AFC (@SwansOfficial) May 20, 2021

Valérien Ismaël's men had a stellar campaign in the regular season, finishing in fifth place in the league table, one point above Bournemouth. They were aiming to replicate this impressive performance and make it to the playoffs final for the first time since gaining promotion into the Championship in 2016.

However, the Tykes came crashing down to earth when they fell to a slender home defeat in their first leg tie. They face the stern task of taking on a resilient Swansea City side, who they have failed to beat in their last 13 attempts.

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Swansea City vs Barnsley Head-to-Head

Swansea City head into Saturday's contest as the superior side in this fixture, claiming 38 wins in their 77 meetings with Barnsley. The visitors have picked up 25 victories, while 14 games have ended in draws.

Swansea City also grabbed a league double over the the visitors in the regular season, claiming 2-0 wins in their two encounters.

Swansea City Form Guide (all competitions): W-L-W-D-L

Barnsley Form Guide (all competitions): L-D-L-W-W

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Swansea City vs Barnsley Team News

Swansea City

Swansea City will still be without the services of Brandon Cooper (ankle), Tivonge Rushesha (ACL), Steven Benda (ankle) and Jordan Morris (ACL) through injuries.

Injured: Brandon Cooper, Tivonge Rushesha, Steven Benda, Jordan Morris

Suspended: None

🗣 “We have to focus on giving the supporters something to cheer and get behind. “We will also be thinking about those who won’t be able to get in too, because in normal circumstances there would not be an empty seat in the place.”👉 https://t.co/VpeVna5UvS pic.twitter.com/FfXywxvf7T

— Swansea City AFC (@SwansOfficial) May 20, 2021

Barnsley

Barnsley will be without Ben Williams who is nursing an ACL injury. Other than that, head coach Valerien Ismael has a full strength squad and will most likely field his strongest XI for this crunch tie.

Injured: Ben Williams

Suspended: None

Swansea City vs Barnsley Predicted XI

Swansea City (4-3-3): Freddie Woodman; Kyle Naughton, Ben Cabango, Marc Guehi, Jake Bidwell; Conor Hourihane, Matt Grimes, Jay Fulton; Jamal Lowe, Liam Cullen, Jordan Ayew

Barnsley (3-4-3): Brad Collins; Mads Juel Andersen, Michal Helik, Michael Sollbauer; Callum Brittain, Romal Palmer, Alex Mowatt, Callum Styles; Conor Chaplin, Daryl Dike, Cauley Woodrow

Swansea City vs Barnsley Prediction

While both teams are not the best sides in the playoffs, we can expect an entertaining tie given the stakes of the game. While Barnsley will be desperate for a comeback, the hosts will be full of confidence following their first leg win. We predict Swansea will grab another win as they are simply the better side on paper.

Prediction: Swansea City 1-0 Barnsley