Leeds United face Southampton at Wembley this weekend in the Championship play-off final, and it’s live on talkSPORT.
Both sides were relegated from the Premier League last season, but only one can return to the top-flight at the first time of asking.
This match is dubbed the ‘richest in football‘ due to the vast amount of money on offer for sealing promotion to the Premier League, and this promises to be a classic.
Leeds finished the season third, while the Saints were fourth.
Both teams scored over 80 goals and were well in contention for automatic promotion until the end of the year.
Leeds vs Southampton: Leeds’ curse
Incredibly, Leeds have never been promoted via the play-offs.
This will be the fourth time they’ve made it to an EFL play-off final, so will the curse finally end?
Well, Daniel Farke‘s men emphatically put Norwich away in the semi-finals, smashing them 4-0 at home.
But that play-off record is undoubtedly grim and you would imagine many Leeds supporters will be nervous heading to north London.
However, it was a long time since they last lost in a play-off final [2007/08], and Farke’s side should have plenty of confidence despite losing both league games against the Saints.
- Southampton were the only team to do the league double over Leeds United this season with the second of those wins coming on the final day at Elland Road (2-1); the last team to lose both league meetings with a team in the regular campaign before beating the same opponent in the second-tier play-off final were Fulham against Brentford in 2019-20.
- Leeds United and Southampton have met 100 times previously with the Whites holding 48 wins to the Saints’ 30 victories (D22); of the 19 opponents Leeds have played 100+ times, their win-rate against Southampton is their greatest (48%).
- This is the third second tier play-off final between two teams that were relegated in the previous campaign after Leicester City 2-1 Crystal Palace in 1995-96 and West Ham 2-1 Blackpool in 2011-12.
- Leeds United have reached a play-off final for the fourth time, failing to win promotion on each of the previous three occasions (1986-87, 2005-06, 2007-08); that is the joint-most play-off finals any team has played in without ever winning promotion through such a tie (level with Bristol City, Exeter City, Lincoln City and Shrewsbury Town)
- Southampton will play in their first play-off final with this just their second ever play-off campaign, after a semi-final exit on penalties to Derby County in 2007. The Saints last won promotion to the Premier League in 2011-12 when finishing as Championship runners-up.
- Leeds United have lost on their last two outings at Wembley Stadium, most recently in the 2008 League One play-off final to Doncaster Rovers (0-1), their only previous play-off game at the national stadium. The Whites’ last win at the venue came in the 1992 Community Shield against Liverpool, winning 4-3 with Eric Cantona scoring a hat-trick.
- Southampton have lost eight of their 10 previous matches at Wembley Stadium (W2), including each of their last five. Only Newcastle (9 between 1974 and 2023), Leicester City (6 between 1949 and 1993) and Brentford (6 between 1930 and 2020) have ever had a longer run of defeats at the venue.
- Leeds United’s 4-0 win over Norwich City in the second leg of their play-off semi-final tie was the biggest ever victory by any team in a Championship play-off game (since 2004-05), following on from the goalless draw at Carrow Road; the last team to gain promotion to the top-flight via the play-offs without conceding a goal were Crystal Palace in 2013.
- Including the play-offs, Southampton have averaged the highest share of possession (66%) across England’s top four tiers this season whilst only Manchester City (691 and 24) have recorded more passes and more sequences of 10+ passes per game than the Saints (663 and 22) in 2023-24.
- Leeds United have scored 98 goals across all competitions this season, their most since 2009-10 (103) when they won automatic promotion to the Championship under Simon Grayson. The only other Leeds manager to see his side reach 100+ goals across a full campaign is Don Revie (6 times).
Leeds vs Southampton: Team news
Leeds will be without Patrick Bamford due to injury.
Pascal Struijk definitely won’t play any part, but Dan James is fully fit again.
Southampton remain without regular first-choice goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu due to an Achilles problem.
Stuart Armstrong suffered a serious thigh injury and will miss out.
Che Adams and Ross Stewart are now fit and will compete for a starting spot.
- Southampton have won 29 matches across all competitions this season, their most since their promotion winning campaign of 2011-12 (30), whilst the Saints have netted 99 goals this term, last notching a century of goals in the 2009-10 season (112).
- Leeds United boss Daniel Farke is aiming to become the third manager to win promotion to the Premier League three times after Steve Bruce (4) and Neil Warnock (3), following his two title winning seasons with Norwich City in 2018-19 and 2020-21.
- Only Mansfield Town’s Davis Keillor-Dunn (264) has recorded more combined shots and chances created than Leeds United’s Crysencio Summerville in England’s top four tiers this season (253 – 133 shots, 120 chances created), whilst should the Dutchman score or assist in this game he would be the first Leeds player to record 30+ goal involvements in a league campaign (including play-offs) since Chris Wood in 2016-17 (20 goals, 9 assists so far).
- Adam Armstrong has scored 23 league goals this season (including play-offs), the most by a Southampton player since Rickie Lambert in 2011-12 (27). The Englishman has scored four goals across his last three starts against Leeds United, including three goals in two Championship appearances versus the Whites this season.
- Only two of the current Leeds United and Southampton squads have scored at Wembley Stadium previously, with Ross Stewart netting for Sunderland against Wycombe in the 2022 League One play-off final and Kyle Walker-Peters scoring for Tottenham against Rochdale in the 2017-18 FA Cup fifth round.
Leeds vs Southampton: What has been said?
Saints striker Adam Armstrong has been speaking about the upcoming play-off final.
He said: “It’s a trip to Wembley, it’ll be my first time, so I’m really excited for that. Let’s enjoy this moment.
“We’ve obviously played Leeds twice this season and done well, and we can only take confidence from that.
“The boys are going to recover over the next couple of days and get ready to go into a huge game – probably the biggest in football – and we’ve got to thrive off these moments.
“I said to the lads last week that these occasions might not come around again. The chance to play at Wembley is unbelievable, and it’ll be even better if we can do it.”
Leeds vs Southampton: Date and how to follow
The 2023/24 Championship play-off final will take place on Sunday, May 26.
Kick-off at Wembley is scheduled for 3pm.
talkSPORT will have live coverage from north London, with Adrian Durham serving as your presenter.
Commentary will come from Sam Matterface, former West Ham striker Dean Ashton and Aston Villa manager Martin O’Neill.
To tune in to talkSPORT through the website, click HERE for the live stream.
You can also listen via the talkSPORT app, on DAB digital radio, through your smart speaker and on 1089 or 1053 AM.