Bristol City vs Barnsley - Championship preview and odds

Published on: 04/08/2017

Bristol City vs Barnsley - Championship preview and odds

August 05 , 2016 15:00pm - Ashton Gate

Championship

Two sides expected to finish the season closer to the bottom that the top of the Championship table will go head-to-head on Saturday as Bristol City take on Barnsley at Ashton Gate.

Some good form late on last season kept City`s heads above water, while Barnsley won just one of their last 14 matches but still managed a 14th place finish thanks to their strong start to the season.

The team from the South West have struggled since their return to the Championship but many are predicting a better showing this term. The Robins have drafted in Senegalese striker Famara Diédhiou from Angers on a four-year deal and have also recruited experienced Italian right-back Eros Pisano on a free transfer following his release from Hellas Verona.

In contrast, Barnsley have become second favourites for the drop following their appalling end to last season and their failure to strengthen in the transfer window. As a result, boss Lee Johnson will be under pressure from day one this season.

Only three sides let in more goals than the Tykes last season, so you would imagine that shoring up the defence would be a priority - however, the departure of centre-back Marc Roberts tells a different story and has set the alarm bells ringing. On a positive note, they were seventh in the Championship goal scoring charts last term and will be hoping to build on that this term.

Recent form (All Comps)

Bristol City: WWWWL

Barnsley: WLWLW

Betting odds and tips

This fixture has produced plenty of goals in recent years with both sides having scored two or more in each of their last five encounters. City have won two of those matches, including their last meeting, while the other three were drawn.

As a result, the home win with both teams to score looks a good bet, as does over 2.5 Goals.

You can back Bristol City to win and both teams to score at 13/5 with Bet365, while Over 2.5 Goals can be backed at 4/5 with the same bookmaker.

By Neil Morris