A place at Wembley awaits the winner of Tuesday’s League One play-off semi-final between two northern adversaries.
Bolton Wanderers carry a 3-1 lead into the second leg at the Toughsheet Community Stadium, with Barnsley looking to spark a big comeback.
Can Bolton build on their first-leg performance? Or will Barnsley turn things around? Read on to find out what Forebet’s predictive analytics model forecasts for the second leg.
24 hours to go. Work to be done.Taking it on - together ✊#bwfc. pic.twitter.com/m5C6gZz34T— Bolton Wanderers (@OfficialBWFC) May 6, 2024
24 hours to go. Work to be done.Taking it on - together ✊#bwfc. pic.twitter.com/m5C6gZz34T
Bolton found themselves 2-0 up in the first leg thanks to a brace from Dion Charles, with Randell Williams scoring in stoppage time to extend his side’s advantage.
That victory extended Bolton’s unbeaten streak to eight matches, with a solitary defeat coming in their previous 13 League One encounters.
The Wanderers have been immense at the Toughsheet Community Stadium this season, losing just three of their 23 home league games.
Having avoided defeat in each of their last 12 home league games, Ian Evatt’s men will be confident of reaching the final in front of their fans.
While Bolton head into the second leg in excellent form, Barnsley have now failed to win any of their previous seven matches.
Last week’s defeat means that Barnsley have recorded two draws and five losses since their last victory, piling more pressure on Neill Collins and his players.
To make matters worse, the Tykes have lost each of their previous four away games, conceding 10 goals in the process (2.5 goals per game).
Still, Barnsley can take confidence from the fact that they suffered a solitary defeat in 19 away league games between August and April.
Head-to-head: Barnsley have only managed to win one of their last six meetings with Bolton Wanderers across all competitions.
When you look at the wider H2H stats, the Tykes have claimed just two victories in their previous 15 matches against the Wanderers.
Team news: Bolton’s danger man is Dion Charles, who has scored 20 goals in 42 appearances across all competitions this season.
On the flip side, Devante Cole has netted 18 goals for Barnsley this term, while Luton Town loanee John McAtee has bagged 15 goals and four assists.
Given that each of the past two meetings have produced over 3.5 goals, Tuesday’s clash will likely be another high-scoring affair.
Forebet predicts that Barnsley and Bolton will serve up an eventful draw, with both teams netting over 1.5 goals, sending the Wanderers into the final.