Sheffield United and Sunderland have progressed to the promotion playoff finals after defeating Bristol City and Coventry, respectively.
Sheffield United will play against Sunderland in the final match on Saturday, 24th May, at 3:01 PM (UK time) at Wembley Stadium.
Which team will earn the promotion to the Premier League? Below, we give you team previews, head-to-head stats, and odds for the Championship playoffs finals – Sheffield United vs Sunderland match.
Where to Watch the Championship Playoffs Final Live
Fans in the United Kingdom can catch the action on Sky Sports.
Key Details
- Day and Date: Saturday, 24th May 2025
- Time: 3:01 PM (UK time)
- Venue: Wembley Stadium
- Where to watch in the UK: Sky Sports
Match Preview and Head-to-Head History
Sheffield and Sunderland faced each other twice in the Championship this season. The first match in November ended in a 1–0 win for Sheffield, while Sunderland won the second match 2–1 in January.
A win is crucial for both teams to secure a seat in the Premier League. Sheffield was relegated last year and narrowly missed the automatic promotion as the team finished third. Meanwhile, Sunderland has not made it back to the Premier League since being relegated in the 2017/17 season. Both teams will be fighting hard to claim the last spot in the top flight, so Saturday’s match promises plenty of action!
The match will kick off at 3:01 pm – one minute later than scheduled. The late kick-off time is designed to raise awareness of the Every Minute Matters campaign, which aims to inspire supporters to learn CPR.
Head-to-Head Record
The two teams have faced each other 7 times in the last 10 years. Sheffield United has won five matches, and Sunderland has won two.
Recent head-to-head matches:
- Sunderland 2–1 Sheffield (1 January 2025)
- Sheffield 1–0 Sunderland (29 November 2024)
- Sunderland 1–2 Sheffield (15 March 2023)
- Sheffield 2–1 Sunderland (17 August 2022)
- Sheffield 0–1 Sunderland (25 September 2019, EFL Cup Third Round)
- Sheffield 3–0 Sunderland (26 December 2017)
- Sunderland 1–2 Sheffield (9 September 2017)
While Sheffield United has historically dominated this fixture, Sunderland is in excellent form. It jumped from the 16th position last year to the 4th position this year in the Championship standings. So, punters should be prepared for a close match.
Sheffield United: Analysis, Team Preview, and Lineup
In the last 10 years, Sheffield United has been in the Premier League twice. First, it lasted two years from 2019–21, then it earned another promotion in the 2023/24 season, but finished at the bottom and was relegated again.
This season, Sheffield United finished third in the standings with 28 wins, eight draws, and 10 losses. It earned the number one seed for the playoffs.
Striker Tyrese Campbell leads the goal score with 10 goals and one assist, followed by midfielder Gustavo Hamer with 9 goals and 7 assists. Defender Harrison Burrows (5 goals, 3 assists) and striker Jesuran Rak-Sakyi (7 goals, 2 assists) have also made significant contributions.
Aggregate Record
- League One: 1 title
- Championship: 1 title
Squad
- Goalkeepers: Michael Cooper, Adam Davies, Luke Faxon
- Defenders: Harrison Burrows (5 goals, 3 assists), Anel Ahmedhodzic (3 goals, 1 assist), Jack Robinson, Alfie Gilchrist (2 assists), Harry Clarke, Sam Mccallum (2 goals), Femi Seriki (1 assist), Harry Boyes, Rhys Norrington-Davies, Rob Holding (1 assist), Jamie Shackelton, Sai Sachin Rony Sachdev, Jamal Baptiste, Sam Colechin
- Midfielders: Gustavo Hamer (9 goals, 7 assists), Callum O’Hare (2 goals, 6 assists), Vini Souza (1 assist), Ollie Arblaster (2 goals, 1 assist), Sydie Peck (2 assist), Hamza Choudhury, Andre Brooks (3 goals, 2 assists), Tom Davies (1 goal, 1 assist)
- Strikers: Ben Brereton (4 goals, 3 assists), Tyrese Campbell (10 goals, 1 assist), Tom Cannon (1 goal, 1 assist), Kieffer Moore (5 goals), Jesuran Rak-Sakyi (7 goals, 2 assists), Rhian Brewster (4 goals, 3 assists), Christian Nwachukwu, Jefferson Cáceres, Ryan Oné (1 goal), Billy Blacker
2025 Transfers
Players In
- Left winger Jefferson Cáceres transferred from FBC Melgar
- Left winger Christian Nwachukwu transferred from Botev Plovdiv
- Centre-back Rob Holding transferred on loan from Crystal Palace
- Right-back Harry Clarke transferred on loan from Ipswich Town
- Defensive midfielder Hamza Choudhury transferred on loan from Leicester
- Striker Tom Cannon, transferred from Leicester
- Striker Ben Brereton, on loan from Southampton
Players Out
- Louie Marsh, on loan to Fleetwood Town
- Anis Stimane transferred to Norwich City
- Ismaila Coulibaly free transfer to LASK
Injuries Update
- Rhys Norrington-Davies: Groin injury, ruled out till late May 2025
- Oliver Arblaster: Knee injury, return date unknown
- Sai Sachin Rony Sachdev: Broken leg, return date unknown
Sunderland AFC: Team Analysis and Preview
The Black Cats, as team Sunderland is popularly known, finished fourth in the Championship with 21 wins, 13 draws, and 12 losses. They scored 58 goals and conceded 44, giving them a +14 goal difference.
Striker Wilson Isidor leads Sunderland’s goal campaign with 12 goals and two assists. Strikers Eliezer Mayenda (8 goals, 5 assists), Romaine Mundle (5 goals, 2 assists), and 19-year-old midfielder Jobe Bellingham (4 goals, 3 assists) are a few more standout players for the team.
Aggregate Record
- Premier League: 6 titles
- FA Cup: 2 titles
- Championship: 1 title
- EFL Trophy: 1 title
Squad
- Goalkeepers: Anthony Patterson, Blondy Nna Noukeu, Simon Moore
- Defenders: Niall Huggins, Dennis Cirkin (3 goals, 2 assists), Danny Ballard (2 goals, 1 assist), Jenson Seelt, Chris Mepham (1 goal), Trai Hume (3 goals, 6 assists), Leo Fuhr Hjelde (1 assist), Ajibola Alese, Joseph Anderson, Thomas Lavery, Oliver Bainbridge
- Midfielders: Daniel Neil (2 goals, 3 assists), Jobe Bellingham (4 goals, 3 assists), Alan Browne (1 goal), Patrick Roberts (2 goals, 7 assists), Chris Rigg (4 goals, 1 assist), Luke O’Nien (3 goals, 1 assist), Salis Abdul Samed, Enzo Le Fée (1 goals, 1 assist), Harrison Jones, Ben Middlemas
- Forwards: Eliezer Mayenda (8 goals, 5 assists), Romaine Mundle (5 goals, 2 assists), Wilson Isidor (12 goals, 2 assists), Jayden Danns, Ahmed Abdullahi, Milan Aleksic, Ian Poveda-Ocampo, Trey Ogunsuyi, Tymur Tutierov
2025 Transactions
Players In
- Jayden Danns, on loan from Liverpool U21
- W. Isidor, transferred from Zenit
- Enzo Le Fée, on loan from Roma
Players Out
- A. Aouchiche, on loan to Portsmouth
- N. Rusyn, on loan to HNK Hajduk Split
- A. Connolly, transferred to Millwall
- Nathan Bishop, on loan to Cambridge United
- Abdoullah Ba, on loan to Dunkerque
- Tom Watson, transferred to Brighton & Hove Albion
- J. Bennette, transferred to LNZ Cherkasy
Injuries Update
- Ian Poveda: Leg injury, ruled out till late-May 2025
- Jayden Danns: Back injury, ruled out till late-May 2025
- A. Alese: Broken leg, ruled out till late-May 2025
- Niall Huggins: Groin injury, return date unknown
- Ahmed Abdullahi: Groin injury, return date unknown
EFL Championship: Season Highlights
| Sheffield United | Stats | Sunderland AFC |
| 3 | League position | 4 |
| 28 | Matches Won | 21 |
| 8 | Drawn | 13 |
| 10 | Lost | 12 |
| 70 | Total points | 76 |
| 63 | Goals scored | 58 |
| 36 | Goals conceded | 44 |
| 27 | Goal difference | 14 |
| 1.3 | Average goals per match | 1.26 |
| 0.78 | Average goals conceded per match | 0.95 |
| 32 | Clean sheets | 17 |
Sheffield United: Home and Away Form in the EFL Championship
Home Matches:
- Won against Bristol City 3–0 (13 May, semifinal leg 2 of 2)
- Draw with Blackburn Rovers 1–1 (3 May 2025)
- Won against Cardiff City 2–0 (18 April 2025)
- Lost to Millwall 0–1 (9 April 2025)
- Won against Coventry City 3–1 (29 March 2025)
Away Matches:
- Won against Bristol City 3–0 (9 May, semifinal leg 1 of 2)
- Won against Stoke City 2–0 (26 April 2025)
- Lost to Burnley 1–2 (21 April 2025)
- Lost to Plymouth Argyle 1–2 (12 April 2025)
- Lost to Oxford United 0–1 (5 April 2025)
Sunderland AFC: Home and Away Form in the EFL Championship
Home Matches:
- Draw with Coventry 1–1 (14 May 2025, semifinal leg 2 of 2)
- Lost to QPR 0–1 (3rd May 2025)
- Lost to Blackburn Rovers 0–1 (21 April 2025)
- Lost to Swansea 0–1 (12 April 2025)
- Won against Millwall 1–0 (29 March 2025)
Away Matches:
- Won against Coventry 2–1 (10 May, semifinal leg 1 of 2)
- Lost to Oxford United 0–2 (26 April 2025)
- Lost to Bristol City 1–2 (18 April 2025)
- Draw with Norwich City 0–0 (9 April 2025)
- Won against West Bromwich 1–0 (5th April 2025)
Sheffield United vs Sunderland AFC: Odds as per 7bet
1×2 Odds
| Sheffield United (1) | x | Sunderland (2) |
| 15/11 | 21/10 | 11/5 |
Both Teams to Score
| Yes | No |
| 21/20 | 20/27 |
Total
| Over 2.5 Goals | Under 2.5 Goals |
| 7/5 | 10/19 |
Please note that the odds are accurate as per the publishing time of the article. Make sure to check the latest odds before placing a bet.
Want to follow every goal, card, and corner as it happens? Head over to our 7bet Championship betting page, where we track all the main facts of the match in real time.
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