Sports Blog 21/05/2018: Football Preview – EFL Play-Off Finals, Saturday 26th to Monday 28th May 2018

It’s time to find out the make-up of next season’s English Football League, with the play-off finals this Bank Holiday weekend!

Saturday sees Aston Villa and Fulham, both former Premier League stalwarts, battle to return to the big-time, at 5pm on Sky Sports. After a season-closing loss to Birmingham, one that saw them miss out on the Championship’s 2nd automatic promotion spot, and a play-off semi-final 1st leg defeat to Derby, it seemed Fulham’s superb 2018 run had petered out at just the wrong time. Yet they pulled it out of the bag when they needed to beating the Rams 2-0 at Craven Cottage to secure a trip to Wembley.



Villa, meanwhile, just squeaked through to the final. Mile Jedinak’s 1st leg header had given them the lead against Middlesbrough, one they couldn’t build on in the return fixture at Villa Park. Luckily Boro didn’t really trouble Steve Bruce’s boys in the 2nd leg, giving Villa their first glimpse of the Premier League since finishing in 20th back in 2015/16. Sadly a glimpse may be all they get, with Spreadex offering a Fulham/Aston Villa Goal Supremacy spread of 0.1-0.3 alongside a Total Goals spread of 2.15-2.35.

Turning to Sunday, and Shrewsbury will be looking to give Rotherham the blues when the pair face-off in the League One final, at 3pm on Sky Sports. Shrewsbury managed to trip up in the final few weeks of the season; having spent the majority of 2017/18 in the top 2, one win in their final 4 games saw them slip into the play-offs. They didn’t mess about in the semi-finals, however, winning both legs against Charlton 1-0.



As for Rotherham, despite a very rocky March, they sat in 4th from mid-January, their place in the play-offs never really in doubt. Things weren’t quite so clear cut in the semi-final 1st leg, the Millers twice relinquishing their lead against Scunthorpe to end with a 2-2 draw. They were more confident at home, a 2-0 victory giving them a chance of bouncing straight back into the Championship. The Millers just about have the edge over their opponents, with Spreadex offering a Rotherham/Shrewsbury Goal Supremacy spread of 0.1-0.3 alongside a Total Goals spread of 2.4-2.6.

Finally Bank Holiday Monday has Coventry aim to crush Exeter, at 3pm on Sky Sports. Chasing an immediate return to League One, the Sky Blues were always in the chase for the play-offs, but didn’t really secure their place until March. They almost wobbled in the semi-final 1st leg against Notts County, rescued by controversial 87th minute penalty converted by Marc McNulty. There was no such reticence in the 2nd leg, Coventry coming away with a hefty 4-1 win.



Exeter just couldn’t close the gap between them and 3rd place Wycombe Wanders, despite going unbeaten in their final 7 League Two games. It looked like they weren’t going to get the job done in the semi-finals, finishing the 1st leg with a 0-0 draw against Lincoln. They upped the ante in the 2nd leg, however, romping to a 3-1 victory. Yet that might not be enough on Monday, with Spreadex offering a Coventry/Exeter Goal Supremacy spread of 0-0.2 alongside a Total Goals spread of 2.25-2.45.