Pundit Jamie O’Hara believes Sheffield Wednesday will beat Barnsley in the League One play-off final at Wembley on Monday.
The Owls booked their place in the final after a dramatic semi-final victory over Peterborough United.
After a 4-0 defeat in the first leg at the Weston Homes Stadium, Wednesday staged a remarkable comeback in the second leg at Hillsborough last Thursday night with a 5-1 win after extra time before winning 5-3 on penalties.
No team in play-off history had overturned more than a two-goal deficit, underlining the size of the Owls’ achievement.
Barnsley, meanwhile, sealed their spot at Wembley with a 2-1 aggregate victory over Bolton Wanderers in the semi-finals.
The pair played out a 1-1 draw at the University of Bolton Stadium in the first leg, but Liam Kitching’s first half header secured a 1-0 win for the Tykes in the second leg at Oakwell on Friday night to set up a South Yorkshire derby in the final.
Michael Duff’s side have won both meetings between the teams this season, with a 2-0 victory at Hillsborough in September and a 4-2 win at Oakwell in March.
Jamie O’Hara Issues Barnsley V Sheffield Wednesday Prediction
Speaking exclusively to Football League World, via Grosvenor Sport, O’Hara says that while it will be a tough game for the Owls, he believes they will win promotion.
“It’s unbelievable that Sheffield Wednesday finished third with 96 points, that’s outrageous,” O’Hara said.
“I think they’re the only team in history to get that many points and not go up automatically, so they are the best team in the play-offs.
“They were shocking against Peterborough in the first round, but that comeback was just incredible, insane, and I think they will take real confidence and belief now from the way they’ve come through that game to go into a huge match at Wembley.
“They’ve got some players of experience in the side, (Barry) Bannan is the stand-out performer for them, so I think they’ve got the squad and the players to get it over the line.
“It’s not going to be easy, Barnsley are a good side, and they’ve had a great season, but my money is on Sheffield Wednesday, I think they’ll probably win this one 2-0.”
Will Sheffield Wednesday beat Barnsley?
This is a difficult game to call.
O’Hara is right that Wednesday have the experience and the quality in the squad to win the game, while they will have momentum and belief after their incredible comeback against Peterborough.
However, Barnsley will have a huge psychological advantage having won both games between the pair this season, and they were one of the form sides in the division in the second half of the campaign, so they should not be underestimated
With so little to separate the teams, it could come down to who handles the pressure of the occasion.
