Preview: Brentford vs. Barnsley - prediction, team news, lineups

Brentford play host to Barnsley on Sunday afternoon looking to extend their unbeaten record in the Championship to 22 matches.

Despite pushing Chelsea in the FA Cup on Thursday, the Tykes make the trip to the capital on the back of five games without a win in the second tier.

Match preview

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With Norwich City showing signs of faltering in the race for the title, Brentford boss Thomas Frank would have stressed the importance of maintaining their unbeaten run against Reading in midweek.

Like many of their recent fixtures, the Bees did not have things all their own way during the opening 45 minutes, but they were again able to produce a strong performance after the break.

Scoring 17 goals in four matches is an achievement in itself, but all but five of those strikes have been netted in the second half.

Despite their relentless schedule, Brentford are regularly outlasting their opponents, a trait which will eventually lead to rival managers having to rethink their strategies.

Ivan Toney has contributed six goals and four assists in those four matches, solidifying his standing as the most productive player outside of the Premier League this season.

Barnsley have dropped out of the playoff race since the turn of the year, collecting just two points from their last five fixtures in the Championship.

Nevertheless, on the back of draws with Cardiff City and Nottingham Forest, Valerien Ismael witnessed his Tykes side produce a spirited performance against Chelsea at Oakwell.

On another night, the Yorkshire outfit would have taken their more illustrious opponents to extra time, but Ismael will at least take the positives from how his players performed under the spotlight.

Now sitting just eight points above the relegation zone, Barnsley must start to pay attention to the teams below them over the coming weeks.

Ismael is unlikely to have too many concerns at this stage, however, with this fixture representing their last against the top three until the final weekend of the season.

Brentford Championship form: WDWWWW
Brentford form (all competitions): LDWWWW

Barnsley Championship form: WLLLDD
Barnsley form (all competitions): LLWDDL

Team News

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An extra day of recovery could result in Frank naming the same Brentford XI for this fixture.

Bryan Mbeumo came through 64 minutes on his return to the squad at the Madejski Stadium, but Saman Ghoddos is an option in midfield if Frank wishes to introduce an extra creative player.

Ismael will assess the energy levels of his squad before making a decision on his team selection.

Michael Sollbauer and Romal Palmer are options for Ismael if he opts to introduce some fresh legs.

Brentford possible starting lineup:
Raya; Dalsgaard, Pinnock, Sorensen, Henry; Dasilva, Janelt, Jensen; Mbuemo, Toney, Fosu-Henry

Barnsley possible starting lineup:
Collins; Andersen, Helik, Sollbauer; Brittain, Palmer, Mowatt, Styles; Chaplin, Woodrow, Adeboyejo

We say: Brentford 3-1 Barnsley

Despite the short turnaround, Barnsley can only have benefitted from pushing Chelsea all the way in the FA Cup. Nevertheless, we cannot back against Brentford, who are making a habit of taking control of games in the second half.