EFL play-off preview: Sheffield United on the brink, all to play for in League One, Chesterfield need miracle | OneFootball

In partnership with Betway, FLW looks at the state of play in all the EFL play-off semi-final clashes after the opening round of first leg fixtures.

The curtain may have fallen on another EFL season, but 12 teams across three divisions are now battling it out in an exhilarating play-off encore.

Sheffield United, Sunderland, Coventry and Bristol City make up this year’s Championship play-off quartet, all of whom will have entered the play-offs believing they have what it takes to be toasting Premier League football at Wembley Stadium later this month.

In League One, Stockport County, Charlton Athletic, Wycombe Wanderers and Leyton Orient will be hoping to join Birmingham City and Wrexham in the Championship next season.

Over in League Two, Walsall, Wimbledon, Notts County and Chesterfield are all gunning for a place in League One next season, in what looks to be a wide open four-team tournament.

The play-offs truly are the centrepiece of the EFL calendar, with elation, heartbreak and iconic moments guaranteed.

We have taken a look at each EFL play-off semi-final fixture, courtesy of online betting company Betway.

Championship

Bristol City v Sheffield United

This season’s play-offs began at Ashton Gate, as Bristol City hosted Sheffield United for their semi-final first leg clash on Thursday, 8 May.

Starting with the home side, the Robins’ sixth-placed finish earned them their first Championship play-off berth since being promoted to the second tier in 2015.

Years of consolidation and solidarity followed, but ever since the conclusion of the 2020/21 season, Bristol City have quietly been ascending through the pack.

Now Liam Manning’s side have cracked the top six, City won’t simply be content with basking in their achievement.

As for Sheffield United on the other hand, finishing inside the play-off places won’t have been the cause for too many celebrations around Bramall Lane.

Chris Wilder’s side had clear aspirations of winning automatic promotion back to the Premier League upon their first season back at the level, but have instead fallen 10 points short of centurions Burnley and Leeds United respectively.

Therefore, Bristol City may well have seen the Blades as a wounded animal, and with the pressure firmly on United to make short work of this play-off campaign, Manning’s men may have tasted an upset in the air.

However, a straight red card for Robins defender Rob Dickie and the subsequently converted penalty by Harrison Burrows just before half-time changed the complexity, and indeed the trajectory, of this play-off tie.

United cashed in on their one-man advantage in the second half, with goals from Andre Brooks and Callum O’Hare firmly planting one Sheffield United foot on Wembley Way already.

The second leg will take place on Monday, 12 May at Bramall Lane.

Coventry City v Sunderland

The Championship’s second play-off matchup delivered a mouthwatering rivalry bust-up between Coventry City and Sunderland.

Many Black Cats supporters still hold a grudge against the Sky Blues dating back to the final day of the 1976/77 season, and more specifically Jimmy Hill, Coventry’s managing director at the time.

Sunderland, Coventry and Bristol City were all involved in a three-way battle to avoid relegation from the old Division One (now Premier League). With Coventry and Bristol City both playing each other, Hill delayed the kick-off by 15 minutes, citing traffic congestion as the reason for doing so.

In the end, Sunderland would lose away at Everton, and with Coventry and Bristol City’s game still going, both teams knew that the 2-2 scoreline would be enough to keep both clubs in the division, and relegate the Black Cats as a result. As such, the game petered out with both club’s content with the scoreline, and the Wearsiders were relegated.

Therefore, Sunderland animosity still remains towards the Sky Blues, and as such, set the stage for a full-blooded two-legged semi-final affair which began on Friday, 9 May at Coventry’s CBS Arena.

It was a first leg tie that didn’t disappoint either! Jack Rudoni cancelled out a Wilson Isidor opener for Sunderland in the space of two second half minutes, before a mistake from Milan van Ewijk opened the door for Eliezer Mayenda to round Coventry keeper Ben Wilson and roll the ball into the net to hand the Black Cats a 2-1 lead heading into Tuesday night’s second leg.

Frank Lampard’s side entered the play-offs full of confidence after a final day win over Middlesbrough, with midfield maestro Rudoni already writing another chapter in his Sky Blues story, after enjoying a superb debut season in the West Midlands.

The mood in the Sunderland camp was quite the opposite, however, as Regis Le Bris’ boys ended their 2024/25 season with five-straight losses.

Le Bris will be hoping that his undoubtedly talented team - largely comprised of exceptional young talent such as Chris Rigg, Mayenda, Jobe Bellingham and Dan Neil - will be able to hit the reset button, and once again show their class when they need it most.

The second leg will take place on Tuesday, 13 May at the Stadium of Light.

League One

Leyton Orient v Stockport County

Starting things off in League One was a battle between two in-form sides at Brisbane Road on Saturday, 10 May: Leyton Orient and Stockport County.

The O’s have not tasted defeat since 1 April, with Richie Wellens’ side ending the campaign with six-straight wins.

This Orient resurgence enabled them to seal a play-off place after their final day dismantling of Huddersfield Town, and thanks to a Reading defeat at home to Barnsley.

As for Stockport, Dave Challinor was able to extend his remarkable 14-year record of never finishing outside the play-off places as a manager, after his Hatters side recorded a third-placed finish in their first season back in League One this term.

Therefore, sports betting sites will likely have the Hatters down as being favourites to overcome Orient in this semi-final matchup, especially given the fact they’ll play the second leg at home.

21-goal QPR loanee Charlie Kelman continued his exceptional goalscoring season for Leyton Orient with a highly controversial opener in the first leg, as he latched onto an Omar Beckles flick-on, clearly in an offside position, but no flag was raised by the linesman.

An Oli Norwood penalty brought the scores to 1-1 on the hour mark, before the veteran midfielder turned provider just five minutes later, as Fraser Horsfall got on the end of his free-kick to give Stockport the lead.

However, a late sting was in the tail, as Kelman converted an 88th-minute penalty to ensure both sides would reconvene for the second leg on Wednesday, 14 May at Edgeley Park, with the scores finely poised at 2-2.

Wycombe Wanderers v Charlton Athletic

Kicking off the other side of the League One play-off bracket on Sunday, 11 May was a clash at Adams Park between fifth-placed Wycombe Wanderers, and fourth-placed Charlton Athletic.

The Chairboys came into this one looking to snap a three-game losing streak, having lost to all three of the other play-off contenders in the final three games of the season.

The heaviest of those defeats came at the hands of Charlton, however, with the Addicks dishing out a 4-0 hammering in Wycombe’s very own back garden on 21 April, with goals from Lloyd Jones, Luke Berry, Matt Godden and Karoy Anderson sealing the points that day.

As such, that result surely filled Nathan Jones’ side with confidence that they can prevail over Wanderers once again.

But, Mike Dodds’ men will be out for revenge, and with the League One Player of the Season in Richard Kone in their ranks, the Chairboys will fancy their chances of reversing that form.

The second leg will take place on Thursday, 15 May at The Valley, with the scoreline as we were at the start of this two-legged tie, after a closely fought 0-0 draw at Adams Park.

League Two

Notts County v AFC Wimbledon

Two big and historic football clubs went head-to-head to start the League Two play-offs on Saturday, 10 May, as Notts County welcomed AFC Wimbledon to Meadow Lane.

The Magpies won just once in their last six games coming into the semi-final first leg, costing Stuart Maynard’s side the chance to really make a late push for an automatic promotion spot.

However, in Alassana Jatta (19) and David McGoldrick (17), County have two strikers with 36 League Two goals between them this season, and as such, there is little argument as to whether Maynard’s side has the firepower to prevail over the two legs.

Jatta will play no further part in this semi-final tie, however, as his late lunge deep into stoppage time at the end of the game earned him a red card, and as such, the Gambian international will miss the second leg.

As for Wimbledon, they too have struggled to find that winning recipe in recent weeks, with just one win in their last five league games of the regular season.

However, Johnnie Jackson also has a deadly goalscoring weapon of his own to deploy in the shape of Mathew Stevens, with the striker bagging 17 goals in the fourth tier this term.

Stevens wasn’t able to get on the scoresheet at Meadow Lane, but defender Riley Harbottle was, as Jake Reeves’ cross was met by the head of the 24-year-old centre-back just before the hour mark, with County keeper Alex Bass unable to stretch across to his right to prevent the ball from hitting the back of the net.

That goal was enough to hand Wimbledon a 1-0 lead heading into the second leg, but with match-winners in both camps, this tie between the fifth and sixth-placed sides in League Two respectively, looks far from over yet.

The second leg is scheduled to take place on Saturday, 17 May at The Cherry Red Records Stadium.

Chesterfield v Walsall

Meanwhile, the first leg of the second mouthwatering League Two play-off clash got underway on Sunday, 11 May, as Chesterfield welcomed Walsall to the SMH Group Stadium.

Chesterfield came into the game in a strong vein of form, with Paul Cook’s side unbeaten in their last six, and having lost just once in their last 13 league games.

Their 73 league goals were the second-highest in the division this season, ensuring they were among the most potent attacking units in League Two.

The team that bettered that tally I hear you ask? Well, that would be none other than their play-off opponents, Walsall.

The Saddlers’ 75 goals were spread nicely across Mat Sadler’s side, with Nathan Lowe (15), Jamille Matt (12) and Taylor Allen (10) all bagging double-figure league goals this season.

However, with Lowe being recalled by parent club Stoke City in January, they’re perhaps going to need a new hero to emerge should they wish to taste play-off success.

They may well have found one too, as 22-year-old midfielder Alfie Chang bagged his first ever professional goal as Walsall ran out 2-0 winners in the first leg, with the aforementioned Allen grabbing the other from the penalty spot.

As for Chesterfield, their main danger could come in the form of Will Grigg, with the 33-year-old forward scoring in each of his last three games prior to the first leg, hitting his stride right at the perfect time as far as the Spireites are concerned.

However, with a two-goal deficit heading into the second leg at The Poundland Bescot Stadium on Friday evening, the Spireites require a performance for the ages should they wish to have their date with destiny at Wembley Stadium.