EFL Play-offs: Second legs preview

Home advantage prevailed throughout the first leg of the EFL Play-offs last weekend, with home teams going unbeaten in the six matches played. The format of the play-offs means that the lower-ranked teams play at home first, so there was plenty of surprise scorelines throughout the first legs – not least at London Road where Peterborough put four past a Sheffield Wednesday side that earned 96 points in the regular season.

Luton, Sunderland, Middlesbrough and Coventry are all still very much in their respective ties and dreaming of a place in the promised land of the Premier League. Michael Carrick’s Boro will hope the likes of Chuba Akpom and Cameron Archer can find a breakthrough against Coventry, while both Luton and Sunderland are chasing a fairytale rise to the top flight.

Barnsley and Bolton is delicately poised while a pair of 1-0 wins for the two home sides in League Two should set up storming second legs. There’s no second chances – and we could have extra time and penalties. Whatever happens, you can bet it’s going to be dramatic.

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Diallo delight for Black Cats?

Sunderland grabbed a precious lead in the first leg on Saturday, coming from behind to shock third-place Luton who were unbeaten since February. Amad Diallo curled in a spectacular equaliser before Trai Hume nodded in a second to give the Black Cats the advantage.

It was the third time in a row that Luton had scored first in their meetings with Sunderland this season, but the Hatters have failed to win a single one of them. They’ll need a victory in 90 minutes in the second leg just to force extra time, and are 18/5 to win with both teams scoring.

Luton will also need to shrug off an unwanted record of no wins in seven Football League Playoffs to date. Carlton Morris had a quiet first leg but the 20-goal striker could be key at Kenilworth Road. It’s now 8/1 that Morris scores, Luton win and both teams find the net in 90 minutes.

Sunderland have won their last three away games, powering into the play-offs as a result. They are 13/5 to win the second leg, and 11/5 to secure the draw that would see them through. Diallo is no stranger to the spectacular as the first leg showed, and the Man Utd loanee is now 16/1 to score from outside the box in 90 minutes.

Coventry chasing historic victory

Something has to give at the Riverside after Sunday’s stalemate. Coventry have a fabulous away record, going unbeaten in their last nine on the road with just four goals conceded – but have never won at the Riverside Stadium in 13 previous visits. The Sky Blues are 3/1 to break that duck in 90 minutes, and 14/1 to reach the final after extra time.

Boro are searching for a first play-off goal since 2015 after firing blanks in their last four, but have scored in each of their 15 home games under Michael Carrick this campaign. In Chuba Akpom, they have a striker to finish the job. Akpom is on 29 goals for the season and could become Boro’s first 30-goal striker since Fabrizio Ravanelli in 1996/97. A Boro win with Akpom scoring any time is 12/5.

Coventry’s Viktor Gyokeres was nullified by Boro’s backline in the first leg but scored 11 away goals last season – more than any other player in the Championship. The Swedish international is 12/1 to score from outside the box, and 11/2 to bag the opener.

Mission impossible for Owls?

Wednesday have it all to do at Hillsborough after a catastrophic 4-0 first leg defeat against Peterborough on Friday night. The Posh were sensational and obliterated the Owls, who had finished 19 points above them in the league table. It was Peterborough’s fifth win in the last seven games against Wednesday in all competitions, and the third time they’d scored four or more against them.

No side in EFL play-off history have ever overturned a first leg deficit of three or more goals, but Wednesday are unbeaten in 23 at home and will relish the chance to make history. The Owls are 12/1 to win the tie, and 28/1 to clinch it in extra time.

With Wednesday pushing to get back into the tie, it could leave some gaps for a pacey Peterborough side who boast one of the league’s finest goalscorers. Jonson Clarke-Harris headed in the fourth on Friday to reach 29 goals for the campaign. He is 5/2 to score any time in the second leg, and 6/1 to get the opener that would surely seal Posh’s place at Wembley.

Tykes looking for ruthless response

Barnsley will feel they should have a first leg lead to take to Oakwell after a game in which they had 19 shots to Bolton’s seven, with the home side finding the net with their single effort on target. It was a hard-fought 1-1 in the end: the fourth time in six meetings between the two that it’s finished level.

There’s unlikely to be any complacency from Barnsley ahead of this one, however. The Tykes lost this fixture 3-0 earlier in the season and have lost three of their four previous play-off games at Oakwell. Barnsley are EVS to win in 90 minutes, and 9/1 to win in extra time.

Bolton finished fifth in League One and can take heart from the fact that three of the last four fifth-place finishers at this level have gone on to reach Wembley. The Trotters are 13/5 to win in 90 minutes, while Dion Charles – who has scored in his last two appearances against the Tykes – is 11/2 to get the opener at Oakwell.

Home is where the hope is for County

Salford grabbed a narrow lead in the first leg thanks to Matt Smith’s 12th goal of the season. Stockport will have been disappointed with their showing, having registered just a single shot on target in the game – but will fancy their chances due to a fantastic home record.

County are unbeaten in 12 at home and are 21/10 to win the tie, and 14/5 to win in 90 minutes with both teams finding the net. Salford, though, have won their last three away games in the league – all by a 3-2 scoreline. They are 15/4 to win in 90 minutes, while over four total goals in the match is 5/1.

Cook to serve up a Wembley final?

Like Salford, Bradford will take a 1-0 lead into the second leg after Jamie Walker’s strike at a raucous Valley Parade. The second leg is likely to have a similarly heated atmosphere, with Carlisle unbeaten in their last nine home games against City, winning six of the last seven.

Carlisle are 7/4 to win the tie, and 9/2 to win with both teams scoring in the game. Carlisle are the third-highest home scorers in League Two this season but will have to be wary of in Bradford striker Andy Cook who has 15 away goals this campaign – the most of any player in the top four tiers. Both teams to score in the game is EVS, while Bradford are 23/10 to win in 90 minutes.

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