Soccer

Playoff Finals - Football: All You Need to Know

bet365 News Team Published: May 29 2022 18:37

The end of May means that three EFL clubs have experienced the joy of winning at Wembley and sealing promotion via the playoffs.

In the case of Nottingham Forest, winning at Wembley meant promotion to the Premier League, as they beat Huddersfield in what is the richest club game in the world.

Who won the Championship playoff final?

Nottingham Forest made the most of their first trip to Wembley in 30 years by sealing a nervy 1-0 win over Huddersfield on Sunday 29th May.

Huddersfield were the first team to seal their place in the Championship playoff final after overcoming Luton 2-1 in a tense two-legged tie.

Nottingham Forest came through in even tougher circumstances, as after leading Sheffield United 2-1 from the first leg, the Blades reversed the scoreline and the tie went to penalties, where Forest keeper Brice Samba proved the hero by saving three spot-kicks.

In a tense game at Wembley, Levi Colwill's own goal split the sides as Forest ended their 23-year wait to return to the Premier League.

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Who won the League One playoff final?

Sunderland ended their four-year absence from the Championship with a 2-0 win over Wycombe.

Having lost at Wembley to Charlton in 2019, the Black Cats got it right on Saturday 21st May thanks to goals from Elliot Embleton and Ross Stewart.

Wycombe were promoted via the League One playoffs in 2020, meaning Gareth Ainsworth's side were seeking back-to-back Wembley triumphs but were second best in what was striker Adebayo Akinfenwa's final game.

Who won the League Two playoff final?

Port Vale ended their five-year wait to return to the third tier with a 3-0 Wembley win over Mansfield on Saturday 28th May.

Goals from Kian Harratt, James Wilson and Mal Benning saw the Valiants to a convincing win as the Stags struggled with the occasion, losing Oliver Hawkins to a second yellow card before the break.

Mansfield were looking to return to the third tier for the first time since 2003 and Nigel Clough's side had proved one of the most consistent sides in the division after recovering from a slow start to the campaign.

Vale overcame a first-leg deficit to beat Swindon on penalties to reach the final and proved too good at Wembley.

When were the playoff finals?

To give a bit more leeway in the busy schedule, League One finished a week earlier and therefore the final between Sunderland and Wycombe took place on Saturday 21st May with a 15:00 kick off.

League Two's playoff final between Mansfield and Port Vale was played a week later on Saturday 28th May and the Championship clash between Huddersfield and Nottingham Forest was on Sunday 29th May, with both also kicking off at 15:00.

Will the matches be broadcast live?

Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football showed all three matches.

How much is the Championship playoff final worth?

In 2020, football finance gurus Deloitte estimated that winning the Championship playoff final would lead to an increase in revenues of between £135m to £265m depending on whether the promoted team could avoid relegation at the first attempt.

Therefore, the match is viewed at the single most valuable game of club football anywhere on the planet, even more so than the Champions League final.