The EFL Championship Play-offs started this weekend, and this is after both the League One and League Two finalists are known. The semi-finals can often be tense but so far this year’s set of games has been full of goals. That is until the Championship teams played out goalless games, proving perhaps that teams would settle for not being knocked out in the first game, and settle things in the second leg.
Norwich City and Leeds United were first out of the traps but cancelled each other out at Carrow Road, and then West Bromwich Albion forced a stalemate with Southampton at The Hawthorns. This would lead you to believe that it is a job done for the teams that finished third and fourth in this year’s Championship table. Both Leeds and the Saints pushed eventual promotion sides Leicester City and Ipswich Town in the latter part of the season, before having to settle for the play-offs.
It ends level in the first leg 🟡 pic.twitter.com/MaEIGcvpPL
— Norwich City FC (@NorwichCityFC) May 12, 2024
This is only the second time in the history of the play-offs that the second-tier matches have ended without a goal being scored in the first legs. The first time was over a decade ago in 2011.
Nottingham Forest who had finished in fifth place, took on Swansea City at the City Ground. A day later Reading who ended in fourth, was held by Cardiff City. Only five points separated the four teams in the table so it was perhaps fitting that the first legs were tight.
If the teams this year look back for any pointers as to how those ties ended, well it is good news for fans of Leeds United. If this year’s games mirror those of 2011 Leeds would be in the place of Swansea who went on to beat Forest in their return leg, before beating Reading in the final 4-2. This after Reading had upset their Welsh host Cardiff 3-0 in their second leg. This would spell bad news for Saints fans this year if we are looking at symmetry from that time.
Finely poised heading into the second leg. pic.twitter.com/9r0DwelvvR
— West Bromwich Albion (@WBA) May 12, 2024
So if the omens are there we could be celebrating a quick return for Leeds United to the Premier League. This would of course mean a near straight swap of teams that went up and down from last years promotion and relegation from the top flight, with Luton Town all but down after this weekends results, which also saw Burnley join Sheffield United slip back down. Only Southampton would be the one to change that scenario.
For the record, the highest-scoring first legs in were in 1992, 2000, and 2007, when eight goals were scored in the opening games of the second-tier semi-finals.
Writer’s View
The game has changed a lot since 2011. The stakes seem to be even higher now with money in the game, and teams that are worthy of Premier League football playing at the next level. All four of this year’s sides have recent experience of playing at the top table and therefore will see themselves as ready and equipped for the higher level.
The omens are there for those that are superstitious enough to believe that fate could be theirs, and for Leeds United fans that bodes well for the coming weeks.
