Luis Torres
Dailysports's expert
On Saturday, 24 May 2025, the legendary Wembley Stadium will host the Championship play-off final for promotion to the Premier League, as two ambitious clubs, Sheffield United and Sunderland, battle it out on the pitch. Let’s take a look at the best bet for the winner in this showdown.
Sheffield United
Sheffield United had a strong campaign in the Championship and fought for automatic promotion until the very end. However, despite consistent performances, the Blades fell short in the final stretch, finishing third and trailing the leaders by 10 points. This secured them a play-off spot, where they faced Bristol City in the semi-finals. Sheffield made a bold statement in the first leg, confidently defeating their opponents 3-0 away, and then repeated the feat at home with the same scoreline.
This season’s head-to-head with Sunderland has been evenly matched—each team won at home: Sheffield took a 1-0 victory at Bramall Lane but lost 1-2 away. Now, the Blades have a golden opportunity to return to the Premier League after just one season in the Championship. Given their motivation and current form, expect them to give everything to seize this chance.
Sunderland
Sunderland have clearly improved compared to last season. In the previous campaign, the team finished just 16th and promotion wasn’t even on the agenda. But this season has been a major step forward. The Black Cats navigated the campaign confidently, finishing fourth and rightfully earning a play-off spot.
In the semi-finals, Sunderland faced a tough Coventry side and started positively: they secured a 2-1 away win in the first leg. However, they lost the return match at home 0-1, sending the tie into extra time. In a tense finale, Sunderland managed to score the decisive goal—a dramatic finish that sent them to Wembley.
Interestingly, head-to-head clashes with Sheffield have always been fiercely contested—over the last 13 meetings, not a single draw has been recorded. It’s always been win or lose: Sheffield United have won 7 times, Sunderland 6. There’s no doubt we’re in for a fiercely principled battle, with both clubs fighting for every moment. After all, a Premier League ticket is at stake.
Interesting facts and head-to-head meetings
- Sheffield United could return to the Premier League just one year after relegation.
- Sunderland could return to the Premier League for the first time since 2017.
- Sheffield United have won 3 of their last 4 matches.
- Sunderland have lost 4 of their last 5 matches.
- This season, the teams exchanged home wins in the regular season.
- There have been 13 consecutive head-to-head matches without a draw.
Probable lineups
- Sheffield United: Cooper, Choudhury, Ahmedhodžić, Robinson, Burrows, Brooks, Peck, Souza, Hamer, Cannon, Moore.
- Sunderland: Patterson, Hume, Ballard, O'Nien, Cirkin, Roberts, Neil, Bellingham, Le Fée, Mayenda, Isidor.
Sheffield United vs Sunderland match prediction
This is set to be a tense and hard-fought clash—both teams come into the final fully motivated and desperate to return to the Premier League. Sheffield and Sunderland’s head-to-heads are always uncompromising, and this one should be no different. The squads are evenly matched in terms of quality, and overall the sides look very close, but current form gives the edge to Sheffield. They’ve shown greater consistency, cruised through the semi-finals, and delivered a strong season overall. My pick for this match is a Sheffield United win at odds of 2.43.
