Derby v Barnsley: Keep improving Tykes onside

Mark O'Haire
01 January 2020

Derby have been one of the division’s dourest teams to follow in 2019/20

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Barnsley have enjoyed a renaissance since the appointment of Gerhard Struber and the Reds are worth supporting as underdogs at Pride Park on Thursday night, according to Mark O'Haire...

"Derby ended an eight-game wait for a Championship win on Monday (W1-D3-L4), although the underwhelming Rams remain entrenched in the bottom-half"

Derby v Barnsley
Thursday January 2, 19:45
Live on Sky Sports

Derby end wait for a win

Jason Knight's first goals in professional football were enough to give 10-man Derby a much-needed win over Charlton. The Rams had dropped to within six points of the Championship drop zone before Monday night's match-up, but Phillip Cocu's team were good value for their 2-1 triumph at Pride Park with 18-year-old Irish midfielder Knight taking the plaudits.

The hosts took an early lead when Knight bundled home at the back post but soon found themselves reduced to 10 men when Krystian Bielik was sent off for a poor challenge. Nevertheless, Knight looked to have made the points safe with a composed finish from Max Bird's cross, only for the Addicks to pull a late goal back from the penalty spot.

County were then indebted to a great double save by Ben Hamer as they earned a first victory in eight. It was a timely boost for the Rams, who will be able to call on the services of England's record goalscorer Wayne Rooney for the rest of the season. Post-match Cocu said: "I am extremely proud of how we performed. The discipline, how we defended and how we still played football with 10 men, we showed great character. The players stepped up."

Barnsley enjoying recent upturn

Barnsley stretched their unbeaten run to five matches as they claimed a creditable goalless draw at Swansea on Sunday. The Welsh side created the clearer opportunities but their failure to finish allowed the Tykes opportunities of their own with Gerhard Struber's team deservedly taking a share of the spoils at the end of a hard-fought contest.

The Reds' have enjoyed their best stretch of results since the Austrian arrived in November and the recent revival continued during the opening half hour with Barnsley the better side. Struber's team were sharper than their hosts, pressing high up the field and making it hard for Swansea to play their possession game, yet opportunities remained at a premium.

Swansea came into the game thereafter with Tykes keeper Samuel Radlinger called into action regularly, although there was still time for Jacob Brown to head against the post. Struber was pleased with the performance post-match, saying: "Our teamwork was outstanding. I'm happy with a very important point. The self-confidence is growing."

Tykes capable of collecting a point

Derby and Barnsley played out an enjoyable 2-2 draw at Oakwell earlier this season with Cauley Woodrow grabbing a stoppage-time equaliser for the Tykes. However, trips to the Rams haven't proven too profitable for the Reds down the years with County enjoying W10-D4-L1 dominance over the duos past 15 match-ups in Derby since 1983.

Derby 2.427/5 ended an eight-game wait for a Championship win on Monday (W1-D3-L4), although the underwhelming Rams remain entrenched in the bottom-half. Victory against Charlton was County's first in four recent Pride Park outings (W1-D2-L1), however, Phillip Cocu's charges can still call upon a solid W6-D5-L2 return on home soil this season.

Barnsley 3.2011/5 have been beaten once since mid-November (W3-D3-L1) - when the better side at Cardiff - and the Tykes' best run of form since promotion has seen the Reds move off the bottom of the Championship. The guests rank in mid-table for Expected Goals (xG) from open play ratio and look well capable of collecting at least a point from this away day.

Both sides may oblige

Derby have been one of the division's dourest teams to follow in 2019/20. Since Phillip Cocu arrived at the club, the Rams' league matches have averaged just 2.28 goals, a figure that dips sharply to only 2.00 goals per-game at Pride Park. A paltry 3/13 (23%) home encounters have crossed the Over 2.5 Goals 1.824/5 barrier, although seven fixtures have seen both sides score.

Barnsley's goalless game against Swansea featured the Reds' first clean sheet since August and only the Tykes' third since gaining promotion back to the Championship. Despite that stalemate, goals have tended to be a regular feature in Barnsley's matches with Both Teams To Score banking in 15 of their past 17 league fixtures across all venues.