Barnsley vs Gillingham Predictions

They may have failed to win last time out, though Barnsley continued to show people why they’re likely to do very well this season. Daniel Stendel’s men look strong at both ends of the pitch, and they’ll certainly fancy their chances of regaining the winning thread when they welcome Gillingham to Oakwell on Saturday afternoon.

Despite failing to win for the second time in five matches last weekend, Barnsley remain the best team in League One. Not only are the Tykes playing some of the best football, but they’ve creating more and have conceded less than any other team in the division so far. Their away match against Scunthorpe last time out was their first weak(ish) defensive performance but considering how strong they’d been up until that point, they can be forgiven. What’s more, they showed their class by battling back from two goals down in the second half.

From an attacking point of view, Barnsley have unquestionably been the top team in the division over the first five match-days. As things stands, the Tykes top the expected goals for table, while they’ve accumulated easily the highest number of both shots and shots on target. If they can continue to perform in the same way, then it would be a crushing disappointment if Stendel’s men failed to return to the Championship come May.

Being strong in the offensive third is important, though it’s also about what teams can do in the defensive third. Fortunately, Barnsley have been very good in that respect too. After five games, no team in League One has conceded less expected goals, while they’ve also conceded both less shots and less shots on target than any other team in the division.

Saturday’s visitors have also done well going forward, though Gillingham have come nowhere near Barnsley at the other end of the pitch. In the final third, in terms of expected goals for at least, only Saturday’s hosts have outperformed the Gills, though many teams have outperformed them in terms of expected goals against. As recent results suggest, Gillingham are something of a top-heavy team.

Given their performances in the final third this season, the Gills could go to Oakwell and make headway, though defending could once again prove to be problematic for Steve Lovell’s men. As things stand, Gillingham are comfortably bottom half in terms of expected goals against, shots against and shots on target against, while they’ve also conceded more goals than all but five teams in the division.

All in all, based on how strong Barnsley have been going forward, coupled with the fact that Gillingham have not covered themselves in glory at the back, the bet that stands out ahead of this match is ‘Barnsley to Win & Over 2.5 Goals’.