PREVIEW: Sky Blues Host Barnsley This Weekend

City are aiming to secure back-to-back wins for the first time this season on Sunday..

17 April 2021

The Sky Blues host high-flying Barnsley at St Andrew’s on Sunday afternoon. Here’s everything you need to know about our opponents.

Fact File

Name: Barnsley

Founded: 1887

Stadium: Oakwell (first opened 1887)

Capacity: 23,287

Nickname: The Tykes

Address: Grove Street, Barnsley, S71 1ET

Pitch Size: 110 x 75 yards

The Opposition

Barnsley are currently sixth in the Sky Bet Championship table and have been the surprise package in the second tier this season.

The Tykes top scorer is Cauley Woodrow who has scored 13 goals this season whilst Alex Mowatt has provided seven assists as well as chipping in with eight goals.

The Yorkshire club have lost just once in their last 16 league matches, which included a seven-game winning run, as they look to secure a top-six finish against the odds.

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Manager

Valerien Ismael was appointed as Barnsley’s new head coach in October last year, replacing Gerhard Struber in the Oakwell hotseat.

Ismael won the Bundesliga with both Werder Bremen and Bayern Munich as a player and began his coaching career in Germany, managing Hannover 96 II for two seasons.

He then led Wolfsburg II to the Regionalliga Nord title in 2013/14 before losing in the promotion play-off and was appointed as FC Nurnberg’s new manager in June 2014.

After just five months in charge, Ismael was sacked by Nurnberg and returned to Wolfsburg II the following summer, once again winning the Regionalliga Nord title and losing in the promotion play-off.

He eventually took over as first-team manager at Wolfsburg on an interim basis in October 2016 before being given the job on a permanent basis the following month.

Ismael was sacked by the German club after just four months in charge and returned to the dugout with Greek side Apollon Smyrnis where he managed just one game before departing after disagreements with the club’s president.

He next took charge of Austrian side LASK Linz and took the team to the UEFA Champions League play-off round before dropping into the UEFA Europa League where they were knocked out by Manchester United in the last 16.

The Frenchman was replaced at the end of the 2019/20 campaign following a fourth place finish in the league before his appointment as Barnsley boss earlier this season and has enjoyed an excellent tenure at Oakwell thus far.

With Barnsley, Ismael has managed 37 games recording 23 wins, four draws and 10 defeats.

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Last Six Games

Won – Barnsley 2-0 Middlesbrough (Sky Bet Championship)

Won – Luton 1-2 Barnsley (Sky Bet Championship)

Drew – Barnsley 1-1 Reading (Sky Bet Championship)

Lost – Barnsley 1-2 Sheffield Wednesday (Sky Bet Championship)

Won – Wycombe 1-3 Barnsley (Sky Bet Championship)

Won – Bournemouth 2-3 Barnsley (Sky Bet Championship)

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Last Time We Met

The two sides last met at the beginning of the season, playing out a goalless draw at Oakwell in difficult conditions.

The hosts created the first chance of the game when a free-kick was worked to Callum Styles on the edge of the penalty area who scuffed an effort straight at Marko Marosi.

City then came close to taking the lead when Gus Hamer’s corner from the right was met by the head of Leo Ostigard at the back post only for his effort to come back off the crossbar.

In a game of few chances, Cauley Woodrow found some space on the left-hand side of the penalty area only to see his shot superbly blocked behind by Kyle McFadzean.

The Tykes pushed for a winner late on with Elliot Simoes firing narrowly over from the edge of the penalty area and Woodrow shooting straight at Marosi when well-placed eight-yards from goal as both teams were forced to settle for a point.

Head-to-Head Record

Sky Blues Wins – 29

Draws – 15

Barnsley Wins – 18

Club Connections

Matty James

Current Sky Blues midfielder Matty James began the season on loan at Barnsley before making the switch to City in January.

James came through Manchester United’s youth academy but never made an appearance for the first team and took in two separate loan spells at Preston North End before completing a permanent move to Leicester City in May 2012.

He helped the Foxes reach the Championship play-offs in his first season with the club, famously losing in the semi-finals to Watford, before playing a key role in their title success the following season.

The midfielder was a regular during Leicester’s first season back in the top-flight before rupturing his anterior cruciate ligaments in May 2015 which ruled him out for the entirety of the club’s remarkable Premier League title triumph.

He was loaned to Barnsley in January 2017 where he scored one goal in 18 appearances before returning to Leicester and once again being involved with the first-team.

The 29-year-old made a second temporary switch to the Tykes in October last year, where he made a further 15 appearances, before linking up with the Sky Blues on loan in January this year.

James has impressed in City’s midfield since his arrival and scored his first goal for the club against Blackburn Rovers before also netting in last weekend’s defeat away at Bournemouth.

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Kevin Richardson

Former England international Kevin Richardson featured for both clubs towards the end of his playing career.

Richardson came through Everton’s youth academy and would go on to make over 100 appearances for the Toffees during his six seasons at Goodison Park winning the First Division, FA Cup, UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup and Charity Shield with the Merseyside Club.

He spent one season with Watford before joining Arsenal in 1987/88 helping the Gunners win the First Division in his second season with the club and started in their famous title clinching win at Anfield in the final game of the season.

After making just shy of a century of appearances for Arsenal, he was sold to Spanish side Real Sociedad where he would stay for one season before returning to England with Aston Villa.

Richardson captained Villa to League Cup success in 1994, turning in a man of the match performance to beat Manchester United 3-1 at Wembley as well as winning his sole England cap whilst at Villa Park.

He signed for the Sky Blues in 1995 under the management of Ron Atkinson, having made almost 150 appearances for Villa, and spent two and a half years with City making 78 appearances.

A short spell with Southampton would follow before joining Barnsley in 1998 where he made 30 appearances before finishing his career with Blackpool.

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Match Officials

Lee Mason will be the man in the middle on Sunday afternoon, taking charge of his 20^th game of the 2020/21 season.

He last refereed the Sky Blues in March 2010 when City came from two goals to secure a 2-2 draw against Leicester City in the Championship at the King Power Stadium.

This will be Mason’s 19^th season as a Football League referee and he has officiated the Sky Blues on nine previous occasions, with City winning four, drawing two and losing three of those matches.

So far, Mason has awarded 37 yellow cards and two red cards across 19 matches in the Premier League, Sky Bet Championship, Sky Bet League Two, Emirates FA Cup and Carabao Cup.

He will be assisted by Simon Long and Derek Eaton with Jeremy Simpson acting as fourth official.

Match Previews

Match Reports

REPORT: Sky Blues 2-0 Barnsley

City secure back-to-back wins in the league...

18 April 2021

Dom Hyam’s stunning early strike and a late goal from Matty Godden secured another important victory for the Sky Blues against Barnsley at St Andrew’s on Sunday afternoon.

Hyam struck after just nine minutes lashing home a half-volley from the edge of the penalty area to hand City the lead before substitute Godden wrapped up the points with an excellent finish in stoppage time.

The victory means the Sky Blues have achieved back-to-back league wins for the first time this season and travel to Stoke City on Wednesday night in search of another three points to lift them further clear of danger.

Mark Robins made two changes from the side that beat the Millers in midweek with Gus Hamer and Max Biamou starting in place of Callum O’Hare and Godden who dropped to the bench.

The Sky Blues opened the scoring with their first shot of the game when Biamou teed up Hyam on the edge of the penalty area with the centre-back hitting a sumptuous effort into the bottom right corner on the half-volley leaving Barnsley keeper Brad Collins with no chance.

City had a chance to double their lead when Matty James delivered a free-kick to the back post which was met by the head of Leo Ostigard who could only direct his effort onto the top of the net.

The visitors first effort at goal came midway through the first period when a looping cross was headed goalwards by Romal Palmer and comfortably saved by Ben Wilson.

Robins side continued to threaten from set-pieces when Sam McCallum’s long throw from the left was flicked on towards Hyam who couldn’t keep his header down from six-yards out heading narrowly over the crossbar just before the break.

Barnsley came close to finding an equaliser with the final kick of the half when Daryl Dike knocked the ball in-behind for Cauley Woodrow who slid an effort inches wide of the left-hand post with Wilson narrowing the angle well.

HALF-TIME: SKY BLUES 1-0 BARNSLEY

Both teams struggled to create an opening in the early stages of the second half with Robins opting to bring O’Hare and Viktor Gyokeres on the hour mark in place of Hamer and Tyler Walker.

Substitute Gyokeres almost made an immediate impact when Ostigard’s long ball up-field found the striker in-behind the Tykes defence only for Michal Helik to make a crucial last ditch tackle.

From the resulting corner, City worked the ball short to McCallum who drilled an effort wide of the right-hand post from 25-yards out.

The visitors burst into life with 20 minutes left to play when Callum Styles carried the ball into the penalty area before playing in Dominik Frieser down the right-hand side of the penalty area with Wilson smartly keeping out the resulting effort with his feet.

City brought on Godden for the final 15 minutes and he tried his luck from distance with virtually his first touch, firing a half-volley serval yards wide of the left-hand post.

The Tykes created their best opening of the half with just three minutes left to play when the ball broke to Dike at the back post only for the in-form striker to fire wide of the target from close range.

The Sky Blues grabbed a second goal in injury-time when Godden beat the offside trap before cutting inside of his man and producing an excellent finish into the bottom right corner to secure the points.

City could have added a third goal moments later when Gyokeres picked out Godden in the middle only for the striker to shoot straight at Collins from 15-yards out.

FULL-TIME: SKY BLUES 2-0 BARNSLEY

Goals: Hyam (9’), Godden (90’+1)

Yellows: Styles (85’)

Sky Blues XI: Ben Wilson (GK), Julien Dacosta, Leo Ostigard, Kyle McFadzean, Dom Hyam, Sam McCallum, Liam Kelly (C), Matty James, Gus Hamer (O’Hare 60’), Tyler Walker (Gyokeres 60’), Max Biamou (Godden 74’)

Unused Subs: Marko Marosi (GK), Josh Eccles, Michael Rose, Jordan Shipley, Jamie Allen, Amadou Bakayoko

Barnsley XI: Brad Collins (GK), Toby Sibbick, Michal Helik, Mads Andersen, Callum Brittain, Alex Mowatt (C), Romal Palmer (Halme 57’), Callum Styles, Conor Chaplin (Morris 46’), Cauley Woodrow (Frieser 57’), Daryl Dike

Unused Subs: Jack Walton (GK), Jordan Williams, Michael Sollbauer, Jasper Moon, Clarke Oduor, Victor Adeboyejo