The Championship playoff final is one of the most dramatic and tense encounters in the whole of football and particularly within the UK, and with the 2021 matchup on the horizon, this is expected to be one of the most intriguing as both sides would be a welcome addition to the Premier League and will put on a high quality game in just over a weeks time.

Both Brentford and Swansea have had their own ups and downs in their respective history’s, and after Brentford came so close last season to victory at Wembley, they will be all out for getting it over the line this time round. Many have given Brentford the advantage in the game, as their coach Frank has gotten his side playing some fantastic football, and with everything at the club running like clockwork and a new stadium ready to welcome their fans to on the opening day next season, the club seem ready to enter the top flight for the first time in their history. Meanwhile, Swansea City have been on a dip in their history as they dropped from a superb run in the Premier League in the 2010s which included a League Cup win and a run in the Europa League. Since then, their league position dropped until they fell into the Championship again in 2018. A victory in this game could see them return and put up a fight in the top flight. Either way, we are set up for a cracking match.

Brentford VS Swansea

When & Where: The game itself takes place on Saturday 29th May at Wembley Stadium, which has hosted some incredible playoff matches since its opening. With Brentford being the more local side, they may feel this is a home fixture, however there is the obvious deficiency of a limited capacity, such a shame for a game which thrives from the drama and crowd support in a packed out 90,000 stadium. The actual capacity limit is unknown, however I am assuming it will be somewhere between 10,000-20,000 which means both sides may have a few thousand inside Wembley, and trying to create the atmosphere of a full stadium to get their side over the line.

Team News: Brentford will likely stick with the same XI who played the previous match, however Norgaard may well come into the side dependent on his recent injury. Meanwhile, Forss may have earnt his place in the side after his goal off the bench against Bournemouth. Swansea will be missing Wayne Routledge who suffered a knee injury against Barnsley in the previous match, however aside from this they have a near full strength side to chose from.

Predictions: In my opinion, Brentford will edge this game by a goal or two, as the way they have played over the past few years has shown they are ready for the ‘big time’. While a final like this can go either way, I still believe the determination of last seasons final will give them the edge and be the motivating factor. I am in no way discounting Swansea’s threat, however with Toney up top being a major threat, he will the key man. Both sides will want possession, however I think an early goal in the first half will set things up nicely for both sides to continue attacking. Therefore, I will expect a 2-1 win for Brentford as they bag the first and open the game up before half time. From here, I think Swansea will level things up for just a short period until Brentford grab the winner towards the end of the match and win it in normal time.