Huddersfield Town and Barnsley face off once again on Tuesday night, this time in the EFL Trophy, just days after their League One meeting where Huddersfield triumphed 2-0. Both sides will be eager to secure vital points in Northern Group F, with Huddersfield aiming to bounce back from their opening group defeat.
Match Preview
Huddersfield Town broke a four-game losing streak with their 2-0 victory over Barnsley on Saturday, thanks to goals from Ben Wiles and David Kasumu. Despite their inconsistent League One form, sitting 9th in the table, the Terriers are expected to rotate heavily for this fixture. Michael Duff’s men are looking to rebound from their 2-1 defeat to Doncaster Rovers in their first EFL Trophy outing.
Barnsley, sitting 10th in League One, will also shuffle their lineup as they look for their first win in the competition after a 3-2 loss to Manchester United U21s in their opener. The Tykes, like Huddersfield, will use this match to provide opportunities for fringe players and youth talents to shine.
Team News
Huddersfield head coach Michael Duff is set to make wholesale changes, likely fielding a similar lineup to the one that started against Doncaster. Expect Daniel Ward to lead the attack, with the likes of Pearson and Ruffels featuring in defense.
Barnsley will also heavily rotate, with Kyran Lofthouse and young star Vimal Yoganathan—who scored a brace against Man United U21s—set to be in the starting lineup. Jonathan Bland could also be given another chance to impress in midfield.
Predicted Lineups:
Huddersfield Town: Chapman; Pearson, Ruffels, Lonwijk; Turton, Ashia, Iorpenda, Vost, Headley; Thomas, Ward
Barnsley: Killip; McCarthy, Wilkinson, Lopata, Gent; Nejman, Bland, Benson; Lofthouse, Russell, Yoganathan
Prediction
With both teams making significant changes, this match is expected to have a different dynamic from Saturday’s league fixture. However, Huddersfield’s strength in depth could give them the edge to secure two quick wins over Barnsley.
Stay tuned to SoftFootball for live coverage and analysis of this exciting EFL Trophy clash!
