It all comes down to one game. It is classed as the most important game of the Championship season and is the most expensive game in England; with the prize money rumoured to be £290 million).
In recent history, the Championship playoff final has produced some mesmerising moments from Blackpool winning 3-2 against Cardiff to Bobby Zamora scoring a last minute winner for QPR against Derby County. It is expected to be a cracking game between Reading and Huddersfield Town but who will win promotion to the Premier League?
It could be the first time that Huddersfield grace the top flight since 1972; this would their first time in the Premier League.Â
The Terriers managed to beat Sheffield Wednesday in their Championship playoff semi-final overcoming their Yorkshire rivals on penalties. It was a cagey affair between the two sides, but manager David Wagner managed to get his team over the line. They have struggled for form recently but it is a one-off game that could go either way, and Wagner is so passionate, enthusiastic and inspiring that it could tip the tie.
Reading will be hoping that they too make a return to the top flight. However, they have graced the highest division in England more recently in 2013. They managed to beat an impressive Fulham side who were scoring for fun before the playoffs.
It was another tight game with striker Yann Kermorgant putting his own playoff misery behind him and scoring from the spot to earn his side victory. Manager Jaap Stam has been superb this season and deserves all the accolades he has received. He will be looking to return to the Premier League as a manager having won the title as a player with Manchester United three times.
Key players
Huddersfield will be looking to their pacey striker Nahki Wells to trouble the Reading back line. The Bermudan striker has ten goals this season, but his work rate has earnt him a lot of credit. Having won three man of the match awards this term, he will be looking to put in an impressive performance to get see his side into the Premier League.
For Reading, they will be hoping that their experienced goalkeeper Ali Al-Habsi will be showing the kind of form he displayed in the semi-final on Monday so that they will be victorious at the end of the day.
The 2013 F.A Cup winner missed out on the final against Manchester City and will be hoping that this time round at Wembley he can be the hero. With 15 clean sheets already, he will be a tough cookie to beat.
Prediction
Going into the final both sides have been impressive all season, but Reading do have the momentum as they head to London.
However, people had written Huddersfield off in the semi-final but they showed great heart and determination to make it through. You anticipate a tight game, given how the semi-finals went, but I am going to say Reading will make the Premier League. It will be a great spectacle and fans of both sides will be nervously watching until the final whistle.
