Preview: Exeter City vs. Barnsley - prediction, team news, lineups

The visitors are fourth in the table, six points behind Sheffield Wednesday with a game in hand, while the hosts will commence proceedings in 11th place.

Match preview

Having been promoted from League Two last season, Exeter have had a very solid season back in the third tier, well clear of any relegation trouble with eight games to go, having picked up 49 points in 37 games.

The Grecians will be unable to make a late push for the top six, but their sole aim this season would have been to consolidate their place as a League One side, and they have managed to achieve that goal with time to spare.

Gary Caldwell's side head into the game in good form, picking up 10 points in their last five matches, with their home record becoming really impressive of late, winning their last three matches at St James' Park.

Last time out, Exeter ran out comfortable 5-0 winners at home to relegation-threatened Accrington Stanley, with five different goalscorers managing to get on the scoresheet, highlighting the vast array of attacking threat Caldwell has at his disposal.

In the reverse fixture earlier this season, the Grecians came away 2-0 winners at Oakwell, with Jay Stansfield netting a brace, so they will know they are more than capable of getting a result on Tuesday, despite the disparity in the league table.

In fairness to Barnsley, they have come on leaps and bounds since the clash earlier in the campaign, picking up 48 points in their last 20 games, more than any other side over that time period.

Over the last 12 games, the Tykes have gone undefeated, managing to record 10 wins during that time, including vital victories against their rivals in the promotion race, defeating Plymouth Argyle 3-0 earlier this month.

Michael Duff's side again proved they have what it takes to win promotion in their last match, in a 4-2 triumph against second-placed Sheffield Wednesday, and they are now six points behind the Owls, who suffered a shock 1-0 defeat at Forest Green Rovers on Sunday.

Barnsley have a real opportunity to put the pressure on Darren Moore's side with a victory on Tuesday night, and in April their fixtures begin to get easier, taking on Forest Green Rovers, Morecambe and Burton Albion, teams that are all involved in the relegation battle.

The Tykes are also hunting down Plymouth, currently sitting eight points adrift of the league leaders with a game in hand, meaning the league title is still a realistic possibility, as a result of their fantastic turnaround in 2023.

Exeter City League One form:

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Barnsley League One form:

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Team News

After such a dominant performance against Accrington last time out, Caldwell is very unlikely to ring the changes for Exeter, but right-back Jake Caprice is back in contention, having dealt with a slight niggle in recent weeks.

The Grecians will have to continue to make do without Kegs Chauke, as the midfielder is currently on international duty with South Africa U23s, so Harry Kite, Archie Collins, and Kevin McDonald are likely to continue in the engine room.

Barnsley manager Duff also has very little reason to tinker with a winning formula, and he has no fresh injury concerns heading into Tuesday's game.

Strikers Devante Cole and James Norwood have hit form at the right time, both scoring against Sheffield Wednesday last time out, and the deadly duo, who now have 20 league goals between them, are set to keep their places in attack.

Exeter City possible starting lineup:

Blackman; Sweeney, Aimson, Hartridge; Key, Kite, McDonald, Collins, Mitchell; Stansfield, Nombe

Barnsley possible starting lineup:

Isted; Thomas, Andersen, Kitching; Williams, Phillips, Connell, Kane, Cadden; Cole, Norwood

We say: Exeter City 0-1 Barnsley

It would be unwise to expect anything other than a Barnsley win on Tuesday night, given just how impressive they have been this calendar year, going undefeated on the road since a 2-0 defeat at Charlton Athletic back in January.

Exeter will be no pushovers, and they will be heading into the game full of confidence after picking up their biggest league win of the season in the last match, so we think the visitors will win by a narrow margin.

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