Sheffield United vs Bristol City

Sheffield United aim to solidify their dominant performance from Thursday’s first leg at Ashton Gate as they host Bristol City at Bramall Lane for the second leg of the Championship playoff semi-final on Monday.

Following a 3-0 triumph in the first leg, the Blades are well-positioned for a trip to Wembley, while the Robins face a steep challenge to overturn the deficit and advance to the final.

Despite amassing 90 points across 46 league games, Sheffield United finished third in the Championship standings.

A shaky spell that included four defeats in five matches cost them a chance at automatic promotion, trailing behind Burnley and Leeds United.

Nevertheless, they regained momentum by earning four points from their last two regular-season fixtures and extended their unbeaten run to three games with a convincing 3-0 win over Bristol City in the playoff semi-final first leg at Ashton Gate.

Harrison Burrows broke the deadlock in stoppage time of the first half, capitalizing on a penalty and red card to Rob Dickie for a foul on Kieffer Moore, before Andre Brooks and Callum O’Hare added second-half goals to give the Blades a commanding lead heading into a potential Wembley clash with either Sunderland or Coventry City.

The first-leg success stretched Sheffield United’s unbeaten record against Bristol City to eight competitive matches (W6, D2), marking their third straight away win in this fixture.

The Blades are confident of continuing this dominance on Monday, having lost only four of their 23 Championship home matches this season, with just one defeat in their last six games at Bramall Lane (W3, D2).

Bristol City secured a playoff spot for the first time since 2007-08, finishing the season with 17 wins, 17 draws, and 12 losses in their 46 Championship matches.

Liam Manning’s team clinched a top-six position despite a disappointing close to the campaign, suffering consecutive away losses to Luton Town and Leeds United, followed by a 2-2 home draw against Preston North End.

Their struggles continued with a 3-0 loss to Sheffield United in Thursday’s first leg, halting their eight-game unbeaten streak at home and diminishing their hopes of returning to the top flight after 45 years.

Bristol City’s prospects of a remarkable comeback in the second leg are dampened by their poor away form, with only one win in their last 15 Championship road games (D7, L7), including three losses in their past five away matches.

They also haven’t defeated Sheffield United at Bramall Lane since a 3-2 comeback victory in March 2019.

Bristol City’s most recent three-goal victory came in a 3-0 home win over Portsmouth in December, while their last three-goal away win occurred in December 2023, when they triumphed 4-1 against Watford.