Huddersfield handed perfect omen as four sides prepare for £200m play-off battle

We now know the make-up of this year's Championship play-offs after a typically dramatic second tier season came to an end on Saturday.

The four sides that will feature in the end-of-season lottery are Huddersfield Town, Nottingham Forest, Sheffield United and Luton Town. The Terriers take on the Hatters over two legs, with Forest and the Blades also duelling it out. The winners of each tie will then meet in a one-off clash at Wembley on Sunday, May 29.

This year's showpiece final - regularly dubbed the world's richest match - is estimated to be worth £200million to the winners with the cash boost a handy bonus to the main prize of joining the elite band of clubs in the Premier League next season.

Whilst many say that form goes out of the window for play-offs, history tells us that one club potentially has a big advantage heading into the ties.

Since the Championship was rebranded back in the 2004-05 campaign, there have been 17 editions of the play-offs take place. And of those, the most common winner has been the side finishing in third place at the end of the 46-game regular season.

On no fewer than eight occasions has third place sealed victory in the final. The most recent example was last season when Brentford overcame Swansea (then bossed by current Forest chief Steve Cooper). Other teams to finish third and go on to seal their top flight place are Fulham (2018), Norwich (2015), West Ham (2012), Swansea (2011), Hull (2008), Derby (2007) and Watford (2006).

The second-most successful side in Championship play-off campaigns has been teams that finish fifth. This has occurred four times - Aston Villa (2019), Huddersfield (2017), Crystal Palace (2013) and Burnley (2009). Sides finishing in fourth place have been play-off kings three times down the years. Fulham achieved that feat in 2020, Hull did it in 2016 and QPR also went up after finishing fourth in 2014.

The least frequent winners of the Championship play-offs since the rebrand has, perhaps unsurprisingly, been teams that finish in sixth spot.

Most often it is a case of that side sneaking into the top six at the death, although it has not prevented two teams from winning promotion. You do have to go back a while though; The last team to do it were Blackpool in 2010 whilst West Ham also achieved it in the very first Championship season in 2005.

Of course this could all mean very little to how this year's play-off picture pans out, but optimistic Huddersfield fans may see it as a good omen after they secured the supposed lucky charm of third spot on the final day. Their win over Bristol City, combined with Forest's draw against Hull, saw Carlos Corberan's side overtake the Reds on the last day.

Another advantage the West Yorkshire side also have is their play-off nous. They have won promotion via this method from all three EFL divisions before. As for the other three contenders, none of them have ever won a play-off campaign.

Confirmed play-off dates

First legs

Friday May 13, 7.45pm - Luton vs Huddersfield

Saturday May 14, 3pm - Sheffield United vs Nottingham Forest

Second legs

Monday May 16, 7.45pm - Huddersfield vs Luton Town

Tuesday May 17, 7.45pm - Nottingham Forest vs Sheffield United

Final

Sunday, May 29, 3pm - At Wembley Stadium