EFL 2025/26 Playoff Semi-Finals Preview: Team News, Form Guides, Predictions for All Five Clashes

EFL 2025/26 Playoff Semi-Finals Preview: Team News, Form Guides, Predictions for All Five Clashes

We have made it to the send of the EFL season. So, with some teams already going up, we go into the playoffs to see who the final team will be to join those teams in the promotion celebrations

The Championship

Hull vs Millwall

We go into the first game between the team that was so close to the automatic places facing off against a team that had to fight for their chance to make it to the playoff places.

When we look at the first leg, we see one clear and outstanding thing, Millwall have the considerably more dominant form as of recent. With no losses in their last 5 matches and 3 wins, they have the push behind them to get the job done. The opposite can almost be said for Hull. Before the final game of the season, they hadn’t seen a win in 5 matches, however, that did change. They will be hoping that this win will be enough to push them forward.

We now move into the head-to-head matches. When looking at the first leg, it does favour Hull as expected when playing at home. However, the last time these sides met in this stadium, it very much went the way to the visitors as they walked away with a 3-1 victory. However, in general Hull have managed to win most games with 4 of their 6 wins by a 1 goal margin.

The home game for Millwall looks like it could end badly. Like Millwall did to Hull, Hull also won the most recent game at this stadium 3-1. However, the main difference is the most common result with that being a draw. This would mean that Millwall would end up getting eliminated. Based on the head-to-head.

Millwall do have one hope though, that is the return of 23-year-old defender Caleb Taylor who has missed their last 2 matches. His return would be more than welcomed.

With all of this, we expect that this tie will end in favour of the underdogs. We believe that Hull will be the side that makes the final and we will see once again Millwall get close but unable to finish the job.

Hull make the final

Middlesbrough vs Southampton

Now we move onto a very interesting match. This game should theoretically be more competitive. We first start with looking at both sides in the table, they both finish on the same points with the exact same record. In fact, it was a single goal that gives the Saint the advantage of the home second leg.

As we said these sides are already very close, to add onto this, their recent form is the exact same. Both sides have seen 1 loss 2 draws and 2 victories in their last 5 matches. This will truly be a game that is very difficult to call based on the table standing and current form.

These sides haven’t faced much 8 games in total and 4 at Middlesbrough’s home ground. In those games the home side has taken 3 wins. However, the focus should be the win at the start of the year when they put 4 past Southampton. However, a lot has changed since then with the main factor being Middlesbrough no longer being in the automatic promotion places. That means we look at the other 3 games, and every game has followed the same score line a simple 2-1 win. Middlesbrough has seen 2 while Southampton has seen just the 1. Therefore, we are backing a 2-1 win for Middlesbrough in the first leg.

We now move into the second leg. In the 4 matches at Saint Mary’s Middlesbrough has failed to win a single game drawing 2 and losing the other 2. However, this could be good for them, with them likely having a lead, the 2 most recent results would go their way. In these matches the game has ended 1-1 meaning that Middlesbrough would end up victorious. However, prior to that, Southampton have managed to win with a 1-0 score line and 3-0 score line.

In the end, we believe that this game won’t be a simple 90 minutes, instead we believe this will go all the way, a penalty shootout. Based on their records, the favourites don’t look in a good place. It’s been almost 20 years since they were last in this position and in that year they lost. In total Southampton have been in 12 shootouts winning 7 and losing 5 with a 58.3%-win percentage. However, this falls just short to Middlesbrough who has been in 11 winning 9 losing 2 having a 81.8%-win percentage.

Hull vs Middlesbrough final

League One

Stevenage vs Stockport

We now move into the teams looking to push into the Championship. We start this off with 3rd vs 6th. Stevenage while holding a weaker league position comes into this game with the stronger form with 2 wins 2 draws and just the single loss. Stockport come into this game with 2 wins 1 draw and 2 losses. Therefore, just based off this Stevenage are already the front runners.

They look almost set to take the first leg. They have played each other 4 times at this stadium and Stockport are yet to take a single victory in those matches. While anything could happen in a game with this much riding on it, it is unlikely to change, and we will likely see Stevenage go into the second leg with a 1 goal advantage winning 2-1.

Can Stockport turn it around in the second leg, based off previous results, it could be a yes. In the 4 matches played between these 2 sides here we have seen Stevenage take 1 win, that being this season, 2 losses and a draw. Stockport average 2 goals in this fixture meaning they could likely win this game and with 2 goals would go through, and that is what we are backing.

Stockport go through to the finals.

Bolton vs Bradford

Into the next semi-finals. This is another fascinating game as we see two sides who didn’t have great ends to the season. Bradford just edges out the form with 1 win, 3 draws and the single loss where Bolton have 2 losses 2 draws and the single win. It is a very close form table, so we move into the head-to-head.

Like the form, this doesn’t give us much of an indication. They have faced 6 times at this stadium, and we have seen Bolton take 2 wins, Bradford 1 and 3 draws, Therefore, we expect this game to likely be a draw and all to play for when it comes to the second leg.

This is where the game gets truly interesting as the second leg tells even less of a story as the home side has never managed to win a game with Bolton winning 1 and the other 3 being a draw. We believe this game will end either in favour to Bolton or in a shootout.

In the case for a shootout, it isn’t looking good for Bolton with them having only ever won 3 and losing 10. As for Bradford they have lost 12 but won 15. Therefore, if it was to go to a shootout, we would back Bradford, and we believe they will be the finalists.

Stockport vs Bradford final.

League Two

Grimsby vs Salford

Into the penultimate game of the playoffs. We see Grimsby take on Salford as these sides look to get into League One. Taking a dive into these sides recent form and once again it seems to follow the pattern of the other leagues where the underdog has the stronger form as of recent. Grimsby has won 3 of their last 5 matches drawing just 1 and losing the other 1. Salford only just loses out with 2 wins, 2 draws and a loss.

Once again, we move into the head-to-head games. In the first leg where Grimsby is the home side, we see a very even playing ground. We have seen 6 matches here and both sides have walked away with 3 wins each. Grimsby have won 2 of them with a 2-goal deficit and the other by 1. Salford, however, have won with a 4 goal and 3 goal deficit as well as a 1 goal one. This first leg is very difficult to call; however, we are just backing Grimsby to take the advantage in the first leg based of their form.

In the second leg it is much easier to call. Another 6 matches however this time, we see a clear answer. Salford has won just 1 of these games drawn 2 and lost 3. Therefore, if the result doesn’t go Grimsby’s way in the first leg, it will more than likely go their way in the second leg and that is why we are backing them to make the finals.

Grimsby make the final.

Chesterfield vs Notts County

Our final semi-final. It is a massive one for Notts County, a side that was so close to taking the automatic place until they played Cambridge. Chesterfield takes the form comfortably, with 3 wins and 2 draws, they have been very strong in their last 5 matches. While Notts County hasn’t been bad, the 2 losses 2 wins and 1 draw have damaged their momentum.

We move into the head-to-head games between these sides. Chesterfield has struggled at home to Notts County having played 11 matches at home against them winning 4 drawing 4 and losing 4. In fact, one of their recent matches was a playoffs game where Notts County won. We will likely see a draw in this first leg, if not a small win for either side by just a single goal. Therefore, this second leg is massive.

The second leg favours the underdogs. Another 11 games played, and this time one team has managed to win more. That team surprisingly is the visitors who have managed to win 5 against Notts County. Therefore, we believe that they will make the final. We will see Chesterfield get revenge on Notts County and they will make the final.

Grimsby vs Chesterfield in the final.