English football awaits a high-profile match.

The multi-million pound play-off final on May 24th at Wembley Stadium will be a fierce battle between Sheffield United and Sunderland.

Sunderland and Sheffield United will be involved in the most expensive match in English football, vying for promotion to the Premier League and hundreds of millions of pounds in revenue. After the new champion and relegated teams were already determined, the English football scene was expected to be heating up with the big names competing for European qualification spots for next season, specifically the remaining four Champions League places.

However, as is customary, the play-off matches between the four Championship teams for the third promotion spot of the season always attract considerable attention from fans. After Leeds United and Burnley shared the top two positions in the Championship and the first two promotion spots, English football began to focus on the play-off series between the four teams: Sheffield United, Sunderland, Coventry City, and Bristol City.

According to the regulations, teams ranked from 3rd to 6th in the Championship will face each other in a play-off round consisting of two semi-final matches, after which the two winning teams will play in the final to compete for the final promotion spot for the 2024-2025 season. The prize for the winning team in this play-off round is enormous, making it a worthwhile battle for all sides. Besides gaining promotion to the Premier League, the team securing the third promotion spot is expected to pocket around £180 million, including prize money, television rights revenue, ticket sales, and advertising revenue upon returning to England's top league.

Sunderland hopes to return to the Premier League after 8 years. Photo: SAFC

This money will be paid over three seasons, not all at once. Furthermore, if a team successfully avoids relegation in their first season, the revenue they receive could increase to around £300 million, paid out over five years. This is how the Premier League supports smaller teams to be able to compete with the "big clubs" immediately after promotion.

Sheffield United defeated Bristol City 6-0 on aggregate in both legs of the first semi-final. On the morning of May 14th, it was Sunderland's turn to overcome Coventry City in a thrilling match at the Stadium of Light. Sunderland won the first leg 2-1 but lost to Coventry City in the second leg 1-0. Forced into extra time, Sunderland were incredibly lucky with a goal from defender Daniel Ballard in the 120+1 minute of injury time, leveling the score at 1-1 in the second leg and winning 3-2 on aggregate.

Sunderland's last appearance in the Premier League was in the 2016-2017 season, a team featuring Jordan Pickford, John O'Shea, Victor Anichebe, Adnan Januzaj, and Jermain Defoe, who were relegated after a 10-year absence. Sheffield United, who were relegated last season, now have the opportunity to return to England's top flight after just one year.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/bong-da-anh-cho-tran-cau-dat-gia-196250514203929522.htm