Sheffield Wednesday v Barnsley: Precise Wembley prediction made

This article is part of Football League World’s ‘Terrace Talk’ series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Barnsley face Sheffield Wednesday in the League One play-off final next week.

The winner will earn promotion to the Championship after a gruelling and competitive battle at the top of the third tier this campaign.

The Tykes finished fourth in the table and saw off Bolton Wanderers to reach this stage of the campaign.

Who will win the League One play-off final?

Meanwhile, Sheffield Wednesday earned 96 points in the regular season, which proved only good enough for third in the standings.

A dramatic semi-final saw Darren Moore’s side overcome a 4-0 and 5-4 deficit to Peterborough United to reach Monday’s final.

FLW’s Barnsley fan pundit Joe Beardsall believes it could be another dramatic encounter when these two sides meet in London.

He has predicted the clash to go into extra time, with his beloved Barnsley his favourites to earn promotion to the Championship with a 3-2 scoreline.

“I think this final is going to be an absolute classic,” Beardsall told Football League World.

“Two South Yorkshire rivals going head-to-head at Wembley Stadium, South Yorkshire taking over London is going to be an incredible atmosphere, a fantastic game of football between two brilliant sides who, let’s be honest, both deserve to be in the Championship.

“If it wasn’t for Ipswich and Plymouth being absolutely unreal this season, you could easily make a case for Wednesday and Barnsley to be promoted, and the points tell you that.

“Wednesday finished on 96, we’d have probably finished a little bit closer to them if it wasn’t for the fact we knew we weren’t going to get automatic promotion in the last few weeks of the season, and we rested a few guys.

“So you could easily say on another given season, Barnsley and Wednesday would’ve already been promoted automatically, so expect an absolute classic.

“Before a ball was kicked this season, I said Barnsley would meet Sheffield Wednesday in the play-off final.

“I also said Barnsley would finish fourth.

“Both of those things have happened, so I’m hoping I’m in for a hat-trick, and I’m going to say that Barnsley are going to win 3-2 after extra time.

“It will be a two-all draw and Barnsley will win 3-2 in extra time.

“I’ve got a sneaky feeling it could be three-all, it could be penalties, but I dare not say that, so I’m going to stick with my guns and say 3-2 because I don’t think anybody wants penalties in this game.

“3-2 to Barnsley, come on you Reds.”

Michael Duff’s side have been a strong side all campaign and would deserve promotion to the second tier.

But Wednesday proved how tough they are to beat with their dramatic second-leg comeback victory over the Posh to reach the final.

Both sides are deserving of promotion, but unfortunately only one can win on Monday.

If it works out to be a 3-2 classic as predicted here then it will surely go down as one of the best play-off finals in a long time.