Preview: St James Park set for an intriguing clash
Exeter City host Barnsley at St James Park on 20/12/2025 in a League One round-21 fixture that carries contrasting narratives. Exeter arrive rooted near the foot of the table in 22nd, while Barnsley sit comfortably in 8th and will travel to Devon aiming to reinforce their push up the table. The referee for the afternoon will be Ben Atkinson, and the atmosphere at the compact St James Park—capacity 8,830—should be lively for a mid-December kick-off.
Exeter’s recent results show highs and lows: a convincing 4-0 victory over Wycombe and a narrow 1-0 home win over AFC Wimbledon sit alongside defeats to Luton Town and Bradford City. The Grecians have struggled for goals overall this season, managing 18 in 19 matches, but at home they have produced 13 of those — a sign they can create opportunities inside their own stadium. Barnsley have been more potent in attack with 30 goals across 17 matches and come off a 3-2 win over Leyton Orient, showing they can find the net even when games are tight and open.
Tactical outlook and statistical edge
Statistically Barnsley hold the advantage in almost every attacking metric: higher averages in total shots (12.47 to Exeter’s 9.26), more shots on target (72 vs 59), and greater attacking volume and dangerous attacks. Exeter, though, have managed five clean sheets at home — evidence of defensive resilience in certain fixtures. Head-to-head history favors Barnsley too: their April meeting ended 2-1 in Barnsley’s favour.
What stands out in the numbers is the probability of goals. Barnsley’s matches lean towards higher-scoring affairs — 58.82% of their games are over 2.5 goals — and both teams show a strong propensity to concede and score in the same match. Exeter’s home matches have recorded BTTS outcomes at a 57.14% rate, while Barnsley’s away BTTS rate is 54.55%. Those twin percentages point to a match where both sides are likely to contribute to the scoreline.
For readers keen on sharpening their approach to markets focused on goals, consider timing and context — an overview of when to act in goal markets can be found here: The right time to place bets on goal markets. And if you want to refine your pre-match read with more tools, check this primer on analysis aids: Learn about some of the tools that can help with analysis.
Betting suggestion (goal market) After weighing form, head-to-head and underlying stats, the best single-market play is Both Teams to Score — Yes. Both sides have over 50% tendencies for BTTS in the contexts most relevant to this tie (Exeter at home and Barnsley away), Barnsley’s forward numbers suggest they will create chances, and Exeter’s home scoring record makes them dangerous on the break. Back BTTS — Yes as the primary selection for this contest.
