Championship Playoff Final 2026: Forget Spygate, It’s Do Or Die Time For Hull And Middlesbrough

A look ahead to this weekend’s Championship playoff final between Hull City and Middlesbrough, with William Hill News tipster Tony Incenzo previewing the contest.

The chaotic build-up this week to the EFL Championship Play-Off Final was like football’s version of the Hokey Cokey. Southampton were in, Southampton were out, in, out, in, out and now Middlesbrough will shake it all about!

To sum up the incredible ‘Spy Gate’ timeline:

• Southampton defeated Middlesbrough over two legs in the Play-Off Semi-Final.
• The English Football League charged Southampton regarding spying on Middlesbrough at their Rockliffe Park training ground during the previous days.
• Southampton sold more than 37,000 tickets for the Final against Hull City.
• The EFL expelled Southampton from the Championship Play-Offs after the club admitted to multiple breaches of EFL Regulations related to unauthorised filming of other clubs’ training.
• Consequently, Middlesbrough were reinstated as beaten Semi-Finalists.
• Southampton appealed.
• On Wednesday night, a League Arbitration Panel dismissed Southampton’s appeal.

I’ve never known anything like it in all my years of reporting on football! Accordingly, this whole saga means Championship betting is absolutely booming ahead of the Play-Off Final.

Hull City v Middlesbrough Odds:

• Hull – 3/1
• Draw – 12/5
• Middlesbrough – 17/20

And of course it is billed as the richest match in football providing a lucrative potential £200 million purse resulting from promotion to the Premier League.

So here is a comprehensive preview of our upcoming Wembley showpiece alongside my considered score prediction to assist your football betting…

Hull City vs Middlesbrough Prediction:

• Hull City 0-1 Middlesbrough (11/2)

2025/26 Head-to-head in the Championship

• Friday 5th December 2025: Hull City 1-4 Middlesbrough
• Monday 29th December 2025: Middlesbrough 0-1 Hull City

Hull City Play-Off Semi-Final Review

• First Leg – Friday 8th May 2026
• Hull City 0-0 Millwall

Tight and tense. Hull’s best effort came early on when Mo Belloumi went on a mazy soft shoe shuffle past two defenders and struck the post.

• Second Leg – Monday 11th May 2026
• Millwall 0-2 Hull City (Hull City won 2-0 on aggregate)

A stunning result for the Tigers inside the Lions’ Den. Second half strikes by Mo Belloumi (64 minutes) and Joe Gelhardt (79 mins) silenced the raucous home crowd.

Manager Quotes

Hull City boss Sergej Jakirovic said: “It was a great and amazing feeling to beat Millwall. I’m so proud of everyone at the club especially the players and supporters. Out fans have given us brilliant backing.

“It is maybe the biggest achievement of my life in football. Yes, I’ve won some titles in the past and been successful. But to reach the Championship Play-Off Final tops that.

“Now we know who we are playing on Saturday, I’ve watched videos of seven Middlesbrough matches across the past couple of days to get ready for Wembley. I feel it is important we need a strong start to the game, keeping calm and being comfortable on the ball. Then we will try to use our advantages to win promotion.

“I’m really looking forward to it and I’ve bought 70 tickets myself for family and friends.”

Hull City Fact File

• Final position in the Championship: 6th
• Leading scorer: Oli McBurnie – 17 goals in the EFL Championship.
• Last appearance in the top flight: 2016/17 relegated from the Premier League six points adrift in 18th position.

Middlesbrough Play-Off Semi-Final Review

• First Leg – Saturday 9th May 2026
• Middlesbrough 0-0 Southampton

Boro dominated the first half racking up numerous well-worked opportunities including Tommy Conway striking the post from 16 yards.

Even so, Saints rallied beyond half-time and almost stole it through Taylor Harwood-Bellis with a close range header which rattled the reverberating crossbar.

• Second Leg – Tuesday 12th May 2026
• Southampton 2-1 Middlesbrough (Southampton won 2-1 on aggregate but have since been removed from the Play-Offs and Middlesbrough reinstated).

Boro forged ahead after just five minutes of this Second Leg via Riley McGree. Ross Stewart equalised for Saints on the stroke of half-time before Shea Charles delivered their extra-time winner (116 mins).

Manager Quotes

Now preparing for the Play-Off Final, Middlesbrough boss Kim Hellberg said: “If we didn’t catch the person Southampton sent to spy on us, I’d be sitting here thinking I should have done better in the Play-Off Semi-Finals. All of our coaches worked so hard to find a fair way of winning our two legs against Southampton.

“The spying situation broke my heart in terms of everything I believe in. It was absolutely terrible and had nothing to do with the players and supporters of Southampton.”

Middlesbrough Fact File:

• Final position in the Championship: 5th
• Leading scorer: Morgan Whittaker – 14 goals in the EFL Championship.
• Last appearance in the top flight: 2016/17 finished second bottom in the Premier League and 12 points short of safety.

*Odds subject to change – prices accurate at the time of writing*