On Saturday the 19th of March 2022, the ninth-placed Sheffield United take on 22nd placed Barnsley at the Bramall Lane in the EFL Championship. In the reverse fixture back in October 2021, it was Sheffield United that won 3-2 away at Barnsley, with Lys Mousset scoring twice, followed by a goal from Ben Osborn for Sheffield United and Devante Cole and Leya Iseka netting for Barnsley. Coming into this game, Sheffield United played out a goalless draw against Blackpool, and Barnsley won 2-0 against Bristol City.
Sheffield United are coming off a disappointing goalless draw against Blackpool. This goalless draw means Sheffield United have dropped to the ninth position on the table. They now have a record of 16 wins, 10 draws, and 11 losses. xG predicted Sheffield United to score 54 goals this campaign so far, but they have scored only 50 goals.
This season, Sheffield United have missed quite a few big chances from close range. It could be one possible explanation for their underperformance in front of goal. Billy Sharp is the only player to hit double figures in goals this season for Sheffield United. Morgan Gibbs-White is the second top goalscorer for the team with eight goals to his name.
Oliver Norwood is Sheffield United’s most successful threat creator this season from open play as well as from set-pieces. The team’s next best creator is Morgan Gibbs-White. Billy Sharp is also the leader in assists for the team.
Barnsley’s previous game coming into this was an important victory against Bristol City. They won the match 2-0 with goals from Carlton Morris and Michal Helik. This result leaves Barnsley with a record of six wins, ten draws, and 21 losses. Despite the win, Barnsley are underperforming in attack with 28 goals scored – xG predicted them to score 34 goals. They are the worst attack in the league this season.
This underachievement in attack can be seen in the above chart. They score below the 50th percentile in seven categories: goals per 90, xG per 90, headed shots per 90, assists per 90, xA per 90, progressive runs per 90, and key passes per 90. So, Barnsley are not only struggling in finishing off chances, but they also struggled to create adequate goalscoring opportunities for their strikers so far this season.
Sheffield United will want to put their forgettable and dull goalless draw behind and focus on winning this game. Barnsley, on the other hand, will look to build on the victory that they had against Bristol City and try to escape relegation.
