A return to the Premier League at the first time of asking is the reward for either Leeds United or Southampton as the pair meet in the EFL Championship play-off final.
It’s certainly the right final in the eyes of the neutral, with Leeds and Saints finishing well clear of West Bromwich Albion and Norwich City – who the pair saw off in the play-off semi-finals.
Both teams will feel they deserve their place back in the top flight having occupied the automatic promotion places at some stage this campaign.
But Ipswich Town joined Leicester City in getting automatic promotion, and now there’s just one more place in next season’s Premier League up for grabs.
Both teams sold out their relative allocations at Wembley Stadium within hours, so it all adds up to what promises to be a closely fought tie.
Form Guide
For the first time in a few seasons, there wasn’t a form team going into the play-offs. All four teams sat in the bottom half of the form guide, but it didn’t stop the higher-ranked sides from showing their class.
Leeds lost their way in the closing stages of the regular Championship season, with their second leg win over Norwich at Elland Road only their second victory from eight games.
After a goalless first leg at Carrow Road, the Lilywhites went on to run riot in front of their home fans. Ilia Gruev’s clever free-kick opened the floodgates, as Joel Piroe and Georginio Rutter were also on target in a first half display that blew the visitors away. Crysencio Summerville added a fourth in the second half.
It was a similar story for Southampton, who after a goalless first leg at West Brom made their home advantage count.
But the St. Mary’s faithful were made to be patient, with Will Smallbone’s clinical finish shortly after half-time giving them the all-important breakthrough.
From there, there was only going to be one winner – with Adam Armstrong scoring a brace to put Saints out of sight, despite Cedric Kipre’s late header for Albion.
Saints lost three of their last four league matches – but did beat Leeds 2-1 at Elland Road on the final day of the season as a first ever play-off final awaits the South Coast side.
Team news
Leeds United
Leeds United boss Daniel Farke revealed that Patrick Bamford will miss out due to a knee injury. However, he is the only absentee of note alongside Pascal Struijk who has been on the sidelines since March after undergoing groin surgery.
That means Sam Byram could well feature for Leeds after he returned to first team training this week.
“I would have preferred to have Bamford available, but it’s important to face reality and the reality is he is not there,” said Farke talking about his injured forward.
“So we must find other solutions. I trust my whole group and squad, so there will be no need to search for excuses.”
Southampton
Russell Martin has confirmed that both Che Adams and Ross Stewart are available for selection for Saints. Both missed the second leg of their play-off semi-final win over West Brom. Stuart Armstrong alongside goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu continue to be out injured, alongside long-term absentee Juan Larios.
And Martin has paid tribute to Adams, whose contract expires at the end of the season, for his commitment to the team.
“It probably would’ve been easy for Che, being out of contract with the Euro’s around the corner, to make himself unavailable," he said.
“But he did everything he could to make himself available and come through training really well these last two days.”
Ones to Watch
Leeds United: Crysencio Summerville
Leeds’ counter-attacking prowess may be called upon at Wembley against a possession-based Southampton side, and the pace of the likes of Crysencio Summerville could prove decisive.
The winger is Leeds’ top scorer with 21 goals, on top of 10 assists and as a result has been one of the standout players in the EFL this term.
And the Netherlands Under-21 international insists there is more to come.
“I’m far from perfect,” he said. “It’s been a good season, very good. I’m happy and proud of what I’ve done this season, but I feel like there’s always room for improvement. I’m just rising.
“We went down last season, it was devastating. So to return straight away back to the Premier League would be massive. The fans deserve it.”
Southampton: Adam Armstrong
Adam Armstrong, meanwhile, is relishing the prospect of walking out at Wembley on the back of an incredible season leading the line for Southampton.
The 27-year-old has contributed to 36 goals across all competitions, with 23 goals and 13 assists on the back of a brace in the semi-final second leg win over West Brom.
“All of this goes out of the window. All of the league games go out of the window. All of my goals go out of the window. It’s all about the next game,” said the forward.
“We have said all year that we want to get promoted. We want to be involved in the biggest games. The play-off final is probably one of the biggest games in world football. We’ve got to thrive off these moments.”
What the Manager's have said
Farke, who twice guided former club Norwich to automatic promotion to the Premier League, said: “We’re pretty focused and concentrated. We know it’s a massive game.
“It’s a final, and for that you’re always more focused on such a game, but it’s also important to stay calm and find a good balance.
“Obviously we are highly motivated, just like our opponents, but we’re all looking forward to having this game. It’s a 50-50 game. It’s a massive game. Anything can happen.
“But this also means it’s a great chance of promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking and for that we are really excited.”
For Martin, it’s a chance of reaching the top-flight for the first time in his young managerial career – and at the first time of asking at Southampton. And he hopes to pass on his own experience of Championship play-off success as a player to his squad – having captained Norwich in their win over Middlesbrough in 2015.
“It is such a privilege to play in a game of this magnitude because you can go your whole career and not be playing in one like this or as a manager,” he said.
“They have the chance to feel something spectacular that they will remember forever and have feelings about, because I still remember that day now, it was one of the best.
“I feel like it would be an even better feeling to be on this side of the fence rather than playing – even though it feels 10 times worse not playing and not being on the pitch to control anything.”
Likely line-ups:
Leeds: Meslier; Gray, Ampadu, Rodon, Junior Firpo; Gruev, Kamara; Gnonto, Rutter, Summerville; Piroe.
Southampton: McCarthy; Walker-Peters, Harwood-Bellis, Bednarek, Stephens, Manning; Aribo, Downes, Smallbone; Adams, Armstrong.
Match Details
Where is the game being played?
The game is being played at Wembley Stadium, London.
What time is kick-off?
The match kicks off at 15:00 (BST). Should the score be level after 90 minutes then it will go to extra-time and then penalties if required.
How can I watch?
For those in the UK, the game will be available to watch live on Sky Sports Main Event. Coverage starts at 14:00 (BST).
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