Sheffield United and Sunderland face off at Wembley on Saturday afternoon as they aim to return to the Premier League via the Championship playoff final.
While Sheffield United cruised to a 6–0 aggregate victory over Bristol City in their semi-final, Sunderland required a last-gasp Dan Ballard header to bypass Coventry City in extra-time.
After enduring a woeful end to the Championship season, that moment may well supply the Black Cats with the requisite momentum to topple a team that finished the campaign with 14 more points – it’s the biggest points difference between two English Football League playoff finalists since the format change in 1988–89.
The Blades looked on course to secure an automatic promotion spot but were eventually pipped by Burnley, and they became just the third team in Championship history to record 90 points without finishing in the top two.
They’re aiming for a swift return to the top flight after going down last year, while Sunderland haven’t competed in the Premier League since 2017. Promotion on Saturday would complete an arduous eight-year journey, which also included a stop-off in League One.
Here is guide to the 2025 Championship playoff final.
