Sky Bet Championship Playoff Final Preview - Hull City vs Middlesbrough Team News, Form Guides and Predictions

Hull City vs Middlesbrough Preview

The buildup to the Sky Bet Championship playoff final has certainly been quiet this year, hasn't it?

I'm being sarcastic, of course. Though the on-field drama has been nullified somewhat, with a 0-0 draw apiece in the opening legs of both semi-finals, the conversations and drama off the field may go down in history amongst the most remarkable turns of events ever seen in sporting legislation following Southampton's removal from this final following 'SpyGate'.

As such, it will be the Tigers versus the Teessiders on Saturday afternoon, in what is known as the 'Richest Game in Football' with north of £150m in prize money available to the victor. The winner at Wembley will secure promotion to the Premier League, joining Ipswich Town and league champions Coventry City.

Hull City

Hull's spot in the playoff final at Wembley has been booked for a little over a week after a surprising, yet well-deserved, 2-0 aggregate win over a Millwall side in the semi-finals that finished just one point outside of automatic promotion to the Premier League. However, their preparations for the showcase match have been disrupted by the SpyGate chaos.

Manager Sergej Jakirovic conceded that his side have been "collateral damage" in the drama that has unfolded away from the pitch, but the Tigers will still be supported by over 30,000 fans in London as they look to end nine years of Premier League absence, and in doing so become the first side to win promotion from sixth in the table since Blackpool in 2010.

The commission have not pulled their punches in criticism of Southampton on Spygate. Will those at the top take responsibility or will there be scapegoating and sacrificial lambs further down the management ladder? https://t.co/KNs3iJWjhI pic.twitter.com/ajYPwLNovx

— Kieran Maguire (@KieranMaguire) May 22, 2026

They narrowly avoided the Championship trap door last season on goal difference to avoid a return to League One, and they were then slapped with a transfer embargo in July 2025. However, Jakirovic has rejuvanated his side into solid promotion contenders with 24 more points than last season.

A poor run of form in the last 11 games, where they won just two matches, saw them drop out of the playoff hunt. However, they snatched sixth from the jaws of Wrexham with a crucial 2-1 win over Norwich. Having now defeated favourites Millwall 2-0 over two legs, the Tigers are now inches away from a relatively surprising ascent to the top tier.

They will be helped with the knowledge of having won their two most recent playoff finals - in 2008 and 2016 - both by a score of 1-0. That was also the score, going Hull's way, when they last faced Middlesbrough at the Riverside back in December. They have plenty of reason to be optimistic of a famous promotion.

Middlesbrough

Suffice to say, Middlesbrough's route to the Wembley showdown has been... different.

They lost 2-1 on aggregate to Southampton in the semi-finals, but were given a golden second chance after the Saints were booted out of the playoffs owing to the SpyGate scandal. They also lost their official appeal against the decision, securing Middlesbrough's spot at Wembley.

Head coach Kim Hellberg has admitted that it was impossible for his players to train properly during a crazy period of uncertainty, and this has sewn doubts over Middlesbrough's mindset going into Saturday's affair.

📸 The Southampton analyst at the centre of “spygate” has been unmasked while rivals launch investigations into feared espionage.

Telegraph Sport has learned of at least one other club now looking at whether Tonda Eckert’s staff had secretly watched their training sessions 👇… pic.twitter.com/zy9gXqXGpO

— Telegraph Football (@TeleFootball) May 13, 2026

Regardless, Boro will feel that justice has won the day and they will have a golden second stab at securing promotion to the Premier League since their relegation in 2017. In their two most recent playoff finals, Middlesbrough defeated Chelsea in 1988 and lost to Norwich in 2015.

However, Middlesbrough's Wembley woes will spark a nerve of worry through the book-keepers of the club. In five trips to the national stadium, Boro have never managed to win, and lost with no reply on four of those occasions. On the flip side, this may be a new dawn for the club - Saturday will mark only their second game at Wembley this century.

A more lucky omen for Hellberg and his men is the fact that the fifth-place Championship side has been the playoff final winner on three of the last four occasions that it has been reached. Boro themselves have also won three out of their last four playoff finals of some capacity, and have only lost two of their last eight meetings with Hull in all competitions.

Hull City vs Middlesbrough Team News

Hull City

Predicted Starting XI: - Pandur; Hughes, Egan, Ayari; Coyle, Slater, Crooks, Giles; Belloumi, Millar; McBurnie

Hull will go into the final without the availability of striker Kyle Joseph, who suffered an ankle injury during the second leg against Millwall. Eliot Matazo and Manchester United loanee Toby Collyer, for an ACL injury and another ankle problem respectively, will also remain unavailable.

Cody Drameh and Amir Hadziahmetovic have stepped up their injurt recoveries with returns to training and are reportedly in good condition. They should be able to play a part on Satuday. David Akintola is available for selection as well, taking the place of Matazo in the first-team squad after EFL approval.

Including the playoffs, only Swansea star Zan Vipotnik has been involved in more Championship goals this term than Hull talisman Oli McBurnie, who cruelly missed out on a spot in Scotland's World Cup squad. He will be relied upon again at Wembley, supported by Liam Millar and either Joe Gelhardt or Mohamed Belloumi.

Middlesbrough

Predicted Starting XI: - Brynn; Ayling, Malanda, Fry; Brittain, Morris, Hackney, Targett; McGree, Whittaker; Strelec

For Middlesbrough, Tommy Conway's ankle injury in the second leg (a running theme here, apparently) now requires surgery and will leave him ineligible for selection. Former Hull defender Alfie Jones is also out, and a muscle problem for Alex Bangura leaves him as a doubt.

However, star midfielder Hayden Hackney is reportedly fit to play in the final having missed both legs of the semi-final. He's the Championship Player of the Season but has been out since March with a calf issue but should return to Boro's engine room along with Morris and McGree.

Morgan Whittaker leads the team with 14 goals this season and will likely lead the line with Slovakian forward David Strelec. Elsewhere, the team that started the second-leg against Southampton should stay the same with Luke Ayling, Adilson Malanda and Dael Fry all keeping their posts in the back three.