{"id":1447032,"date":"2026-05-07T16:54:47","date_gmt":"2026-05-07T15:54:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/?post_type=news&p=1447032"},"modified":"2026-05-08T09:27:27","modified_gmt":"2026-05-08T08:27:27","slug":"championship-play-off-semi-final-preview-25-26","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/news\/championship-play-off-semi-final-preview-25-26\/","title":{"rendered":"Championship play-off semi-final preview: Who will make it to Wembley?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The race is on for the third and final promotion place up to the Premier League<\/a><\/strong> as Millwall, Southampton, Middlesbrough, <\/strong>and Hull battle it out in the Championship<\/a> play-offs.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If one of Millwall, Middlesbrough or Hull win the play-offs, as opposed to Southampton, we could have a scenario in which two of the three promoted clubs aren\u2019t parachute payees who had come down from the Premier League in the previous two seasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Saints are the favourites based on their superior strength-in-depth, and title-winning form in the second half of the season, with only two wins in 13 under Will Still at the start of it holding them back from automatic promotion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the Lions have excellent defensive resolve to bring to the conversation, Boro create chances at a rate of knots, and Hull have that clinical edge\/lucky charm \u2013 you decide!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, who will come out on top in the semi-finals to earn a place at Wembley? Let’s take a look.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Latest Championship promotion odds<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Club<\/th>bet365 Odds<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Southampton<\/td>15\/8<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
Middlesbrough<\/td>9\/4<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
Millwall<\/td>5\/2<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
Hull<\/td>13\/2<\/a><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody>
Odds correct as of 07\/05\/2026, courtesy of bet365<\/em><\/td><\/td><\/tr><\/tfoot><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Hull vs Millwall<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The clash of the underdogs. Hull went into this season off the back of a 21st-placed finish the year before, and a transfer ban that made them relegation favourites, and somehow managed to attain a top-six finish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Millwall, on the other hand, have punched above their weight at this level since coming up in 2017, and have managed to launch an automatic promotion challenge without major investment, thanks to excellent management from Alex Neil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the South Londoners are perhaps a touch better value for their play-off spot on performances than their Humberside counterparts, the intriguing aspect of this semi-final is that both are counter-attacking sides, averaging 46% and 47% possession respectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hull\u2019s attack is marginally more clinical than their hosts, with a quartet of Mohamed Belloumi, Joe Gelhardt, Liam Millar and Oli McBurnie capable of carving opponents open in five or six moments in a game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Millwall, meanwhile, have individuals capable of brilliance in Femi Azeez and Camiel Neghli, but they don\u2019t have a striker racking up the big numbers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mihailo Ivanovic and Josh Coburn only have nine apiece, with defenders Jake Cooper, Tristan Crama and Caleb Taylor contributing a significant portion of their attacking output from Neghli\u2019s set-pieces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, Hull\u2019s defence is incomparable. They\u2019ve conceded the most goals of the four, 66, by quite some distance, and that\u2019s with an xGA that suggests they should have shipped another 18 goals on performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Regan Slater dominated the Player of the Year awards but he\u2019s felt like a one-man midfield at times, in front of a defence that can be unreliable with either an error-prone Semi Ajayi or a half-fit Charlie Hughes partnering John Egan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Millwall are 2\/5 favourites to reach the final. The 71.4% implied probability is flattering to Alex Neil\u2019s side, given anything can happen across two games against a side that scored more goals than them across a league campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The price is too short to represent genuine value, but it\u2019s difficult to make a compelling case for Hull. The 11\/8 on Millwall to win the first-leg holds a bit more appeal.<\/p>\n\n\n

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