Barnsley
- Barnsley FC will start the 2026-27 EFL Cup season against Wigan Athletic at Oakwell on Saturday in what looks a very tough first-round test for the Tykes.
- Barnsley's final five competitive matches in 2025-26 were won once, drawn once and lost three times (L3, D1, W1) - a 1-0 win at Northampton and a 2-2 draw with Bradford interspersed with defeats to Stockport, Luton and Stevenage.
Wigan
- Wigan also finished 2025-26 in unremarkable fashion, with their final five (W2, D1, L2) including three games that finished either 1-0 or 0-0.
- Wigan were all over the place in 2025-26 in League One, but Gary Caldwell has returned to steady the ship.
Head-to-Head
- Barnsley and Wigan are evenly matched in the head-to-head history with the Latics holding a one-win edge, and stalemates have been common.
- Wigan, who are a one-win better in the overall head-to-head record (Barnsley 6, Wigan 7 and 10 draws) will be careful not to underestimate Barnsley in this fixture and won't be as aggressive on the ball.
- The last four head-to-head games in the third tier between these clubs have all finished level or by a single goal and three of those games finished 1-1 in 2025 and 2026.
Barnsley
- Patrick Kelly will be key to Barnsley's chances of progressing here as the energetic midfielder brings a good mix of drive and creativity to the field - ideal for a pressing, vertical style of play.
- David McGoldrick is Barnsley's senior attacking reference and will provide the Tykes with a target man, experience and the finishing ability to put this tie away.
- Charlie Lennon can be a handful in the later stages, as he showed when he scored a last-minute equaliser against the Latics back in March 2026.
Wigan
- Joe Taylor is Wigan's most direct threat and his goal in the March 2026 meeting with Barnsley showed he can punish a Tykes back line that can be vulnerable to a quick switch of play.
- Sam Tickle is a big man with decent handling and distribution and he is key to launching the quick counters Caldwell wants.
Betting Insights
Barnsley are a clear favorite here at 2.42 ahead of Wigan at 2.68 and the draw at 3.5 , and that's understandable given that they are playing at home and have the momentum of Stendel's return to preach his front-foot soccer gospel to his players.
Prediction
We think this could well go the same way, but Barnsley are a slight favourite for the matchup so we will give them the smallest of nods to squeeze past with a goal in this game.
