It was Southampton who won 2-1 when the sides met on May 4 at Elland Road. (Image: Getty)
It’s known as ‘the richest game in football’, and this Sunday both Leeds and Southampton will battle to reach the promised land as they go head-to-head in the Championship play-off final. Champions Leicester City and Ipswich Town have already secured their place in England’s top flight for 2024/25, following a thrilling battle for promotion that went down to the final day of the season.
Both Leeds and the Saints could only draw 0-0 in the first legs of their semi final clashes, but both won emphatically when it came to their home legs. Daniel Farke’s side hammered Norwich 4-0 while their final opponents cruised past West Brom 3-1.
There appears to be no clear favourites for the finale to the English Football League season either. Leeds finished third and three points ahead of their rivals in the table, but Russell Martin’s men did the double over them in the league, winning 3-1 at St Mary’s in September and 2-1 at Elland Road in May.
And at Wembley this weekend, both clubs will not only be craving an immediate return to the Premier League, but also the huge financial rewards that come with victory. According to the official Wembley website, the victors will receive ‘around £100million’ just for securing promotion, but that sum will prove just a snippet of what the game could be worth in the long run.
Luton Town fans celebrate after the 2023 Championship play-off final. (Image: Getty)
If the winners can then proceed to stay in the Premier League in the 2024/25 campaign, the figure will essentially double to around £200m. Furthermore, the excess money earned from television deals and final placings in the top flight will further elevate the financial rewards.
Last year’s play-off final saw Luton Town overcome Coventry City on penalties, promoting them to the Premier League for the first time in their history. Under Rob Edwards, the club narrowly failed to maintain their top-flight status, but will now receive compensation via the form of parachute payments for the next three years if they are unable to bounce back from the Championship.
Despite what’s at stake, Martin has this week talked up the clash, arguing that the attacking style that has signified the play of both teams this season will be on show. "I think it's going to be a really top game of football,” he said.
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“It's going to be one to look forward to and to also feel a lot of butterflies and nerves throughout the week. We have to manage that with the players and staff. The players deserve that. They deserve the opportunity because of how brave they've been.”
Farke meanwhile, is aiming for a third promotion after twice going up with Norwich. And after the semi-final win he immediately warned his players that the job was not done, stating: “I’m already focused on the next task."