Match Pack: Barnsley v Watford

By: Watford FC Staff

MATCH INFO

  • Barnsley v Watford
  • Sky Bet EFL Championship
  • Oakwell (Behind Closed Doors)
  • Saturday October 31, 3pm GMT

OFFICIALS

  • Referee: Matthew Donohue
  • Assistants: Mark Russell, Mark Jones
  • Fourth Official: Geoff Eltringham

OPPOSITION

A 3-0 victory over QPR in midweek saw Barnsley pick up their first Championship victory of the season under new Head Coach Valerien Ismael, after a rocky beginning to the campaign (D3, L3) under Gerhard Struber. Forward Cauley Woodrow has scored four goals already, with three coming from the penalty spot.

KEY STATS

  • Barnsley and Watford last met in the 2013/14 Championship season, with the Hornets winning both matches – 5-1 at Oakwell and 3-0 at Vicarage Road.
  • The away side has won just one of the last 12 league meetings between Barnsley and Watford (D3 L8), though that was Watford in their last visit to Oakwell in September 2013.
  • Following their 3-0 victory against QPR in midweek, Barnsley will be aiming to win back-to-back Championship games for the first time since February (run of three).
  • Watford have drawn consecutive Championship games (v Bournemouth and Wycombe) – the Hornets last drew three league games on the bounce in the Premier League back in October 2019.
  • Watford striker Troy Deeney scored in both of the Hornets’ wins against Barnsley in the 2013/14 season and has scored four goals in his last four Championship appearances against the Tykes.

TEAM NEWS

Vladimir Ivić said to expect the likes of Will Hughes, Andre Gray and Troy Deeney to play some part in the coming games, but warned this may begin with cameos from the bench. Christian Kabasele is available after a nose injury picked up at Wycombe while Stipe Perica is a couple of weeks away from returning. See HERE for more.

PRE-MATCH THOUGHTS

Vladimir Ivić, Watford Head Coach:

“I want to see more energy, this is the first thing I want to see. I want to see us hungry for victory, this is something we need to be every game. Because if we don’t have it, we cannot win.

“If you don’t want the game more than your opponent, your quality cannot do something more. To show your quality you must first of all be strong in your decisions, in the second ball, in every second during the game you must be there.

“This is the first thing we need to improve. The players who will play will be the players who will give maximum, full energy every game. It doesn’t matter about the quality, first of all they must put themselves for the team and work hard for the team.”

HEAD TO HEAD

Overall:

  • Won 21, Drawn 16, Lost 20

Last Six:

  • Mar 2014: Watford 3-0 Barnsley (Championship)
  • Sep 2013: Barnsley 1-5 Watford (Championship)
  • Mar 2013: Barnsley 1-0 Watford (Championship)
  • Dec 2012: Watford 4-1 Barnsley (Championship)
  • Feb 2012: Watford 2-1 Barnsley (Championship)
  • Sep 2011: Barnsley 1-1 Watford (Championship)

GOLDEN FLASHBACK

Watford's last trip to Oakwell – under Gianfranco Zola in September 2013 – ended in a 5-1 victory for the Hornets. Troy Deeney, Davide Faraoni, Fernando Forestieri and Sean Murray all netted before Ikechi Anya finished after an 80-yard sprint to round off the scoring.

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Follow Saturday's clash at Oakwell on Hive Live, with match passes now available. Click HERE to find out more!

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