Álvaro Hernández
Dailysports's expert
On May 16, at the Bescot Stadium, the second leg of the League Two playoff semifinal will see Walsall take on Chesterfield. For this clash, I'm offering a bet on goals, cards, and the match winner.
Walsall
The club is a classic example of English, or rather British, football. On one hand, Walsall boasts a long history, yet it has never experienced a rise to the Premier League—or even come close. The club has spent more seasons in the third tier than in the Championship. After dropping down to League Two, last season they finished just eleventh.
In the first part of this campaign, it seemed the West Midlands side would be favorites. Their convincing form, and more importantly, the points cushion they built up, gradually faded as the season wore on. They ended up with 77 points—just one fewer than Bradford City. The difference was huge: instead of a direct promotion, they now have to go through the playoffs. Still, they pleasantly surprised everyone with a 2-0 away win in the first leg.
Chesterfield
This team is almost unfamiliar with the Championship, having not featured in the second tier at all in the post-war era. In fact, not so long ago, they were on the brink of dropping out of the National League, the fifth tier of English football. But after surviving that scare, Chesterfield managed to climb back up to League Two in 2024.
As newcomers, they've managed to make their mark. Not everything went smoothly, but they did surpass the 70-point mark—though it took a strong spring run, losing just once. That was enough to see them fighting for promotion while most other teams were already on holiday. In their first home semifinal, however, they failed to respond to two goals conceded.
Match facts
- Walsall have won two in a row after a long winless streak
- On average, Walsall score 1.64 goals and concede 1.15 per match
- Chesterfield have lost only their second match in their last fourteen
H2H
In the three previous meetings before this playoff cycle, Walsall claimed two home wins and there was one draw on the road.
Walsall vs Chesterfield prediction
Bookmakers now believe the hosts will win the second leg as well. But keeping a clean sheet is crucial—expect under 2.5 total goals (odds: 1.83).
