This Saturday, August 12, 2017 (7:00 AM Pacific) Barnsley will host Ipswich Town at the Oakwood Stadium for a match in week 2 of the FL Championship. Both teams are expected to fight for relegation rather than promotion this season but should deliver an exciting encounter.
Barnsley got off to a woeful start to this new Championship season, taking a 3-1 loss against Bristol City away from home. The Reds turned it around a bit midweek, getting a 4-3 win against Morecambe in the first round of the EFL Cup. The young Welsh midfielder Ryan Hedges has been one of the more impressive players on the team with two goals between these two games. Paul Heckingbottom does not count with a very exciting squad but this is a very winnable game for The Tykes especially playing at home.
Ipswich Town got off to a much more promising start than its rival in this game, getting a 1-0 win against Birmingham in the first matchday of the season. The Blues also had a dominant 2-0 performance against Luton Town in the EFL Cup earlier in the week. Offseason signing, former Rangers player Joe Garner was the hero in the game against Birmingham providing the lone goal of the encounter that sealed the three points for The Tractor Boys.
The match should be very evenly matched and provide an intense, hard-fought clash between the two teams. Ipswich may have the slight advantage because of current form but Barnsley may also make effective use of that home-field advantage.
