EFL play-offs 2024/25: Which League One and League Two teams will reach Wembley?
Charlton, Leyton Orient, Stockport, Wycombe, AFC Wimbledon, Chesterfield, Notts County, Walsall taking part in Sky Bet League One and League Two play-offs ; Watch the Sky Bet EFL play-off semi-finals live on Sky Sports between Thursday May 8 and Saturday May 17
Sunday 11 May 2025 14:58, UK
As the Sky Bet League One and League Two play-off semi-final first legs take place this weekend, we look at the clubs preparing to battle it out for a place at Wembley.
Leyton Orient 2-2 Stockport
Charlie Kelman netted a late penalty as Leyton Orient held Stockport to a 2-2 draw in a chaotic first leg of their League One play-off semi-final.
Kelman had given Orient a controversial lead from an offside position in the first half, before Stockport hit back in the second period with a quick turnaround through Ollie Norwood's penalty and a Fraser Horsfall header.
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League One top scorer Kelman then scored from the spot in the closing stages to send the tie into the second leg all square.
Second leg on Wednesday May 14, 8pm - Live on Sky Sports
Wycombe vs Charlton
Sunday May 11, 6.30pm - Live on Sky Sports
Can Wycombe learn from very recent history?
Since their first-ever Championship season ended with relegation in 2020/21, Wycombe have pushed hard to get back there. They reached the play-off final in 2021/22, but were beaten by Sunderland. In 2022/23, they finished eight points off sixth and in 2023/24, it was 11.
Last summer, a takeover by billionaire businessman Mikheil Lomtadze was completed and the good feeling continued into the season. In a league containing heavyweights Birmingham and Wrexham, it was the Chairboys that were top at the end of November, having won eight on the trot.
In January, however, they were rocked by the departure of Matt Bloomfield, who left for Luton after the best part of 22 years at Adams Park. There was potential for the promotion push to crumble as a result, but Mike Dodds took over and led them to the play-offs, even though hopes of automatic promotion were alive until April 26.
Their only worry is that they faced each of the other three League One play-off semi-finalists in their last three games and lost all three - including 4-0 against Charlton on April 21. Lessons need to be learned.
Dan Long
Charlton well placed to challenge after superb turnaround
Results suggested Charlton were sleepwalking to another season of mid-table mediocrity in the first few months of this season. But they were still well under a year into the Nathan Jones-led rebuild - and since the start of December, everything has clicked into gear.
Across the last 29 games of the season, 87 points were available - and with 19 wins and six draws in that time, the Addicks took 63 of them. Without their struggles at the start, it would have been title-winning form.
It is particularly impressive given the club finished only nine points above the relegation zone in 2023/24.
"We've asked, 'give us time and we'll build you something,'" Jones told Sky Sports in an exclusive interview in March. "And we've got that. And now we're in a really good place. We've achieved nothing. Absolutely nothing. But we're in a categorically better position than we were last year."
And so it goes without saying their chances of ending a five-year exile in League One look highly favourable.
Dan Long
Second leg on Thursday May 15, 8pm - Live on Sky Sports
Notts County 0-1 AFC Wimbledon
AFC Wimbledon took a big step towards the League Two play-off final with a 1-0 first-leg victory at Notts County.
Riley Harbottle's second-half header was the difference between the sides, while County will be without key player Alassana Jatta for Saturday's return fixture after he was sent off for a two-footed challenge deep into injury time.
Second leg on Saturday May 17, 12.30pm - Live on Sky Sports
Chesterfield vs Walsall
Sunday May 11, 3.30pm - Live on Sky Sports
Cook heats up back-to-back promotion hopes despite injuries
"Our season was summed up in the second half where it offers so much but ends with so little."
That was manager Paul Cook's verdict after Chesterfield's shock 4-0 defeat to lowly Tranmere at the start of April. It turned out to be their only defeat in their final 13 matches of a season that may well end with so much.
Chesterfield were well backed for another promotion push after coming up as National League champions. Injuries have blighted their season yet now with a more settled side they have shown their true potential.
Attacking midfielder Liam Mandeville has shone while a 33-year-old Will Grigg is their top scorer with 12, scoring in each of the last three games, although a recent injury to forward Armando Dobra has come at a bad time.
Despite the setbacks, their season can still turn into a memorable success.
David Richardson
Do Walsall have grit to salvage promotion?
A 4-2 win over MK Dons on January 18 was Walsall's ninth in succession. They were 12 points clear at the top of the league, with a game in hand, and a League Two title win looked nailed on.
Their drop-off after that was quite something. In the 21 games that followed, they won just three times, with 10 draws and eight defeats. While the fact Stoke recalled top scorer Nathan Lowe from his loan spell in January played a part, it cannot be put down as the only factor.
Even so, on the final day, they were on course to finish third. Until Antoni Sarcevic's 96th-minute winner for Bradford against Fleetwood, that was. While Bradford went up as a result, the Saddlers missed out on automatic promotion by a single point.
The question now is whether Mat Sadler's side can summon the mettle to give this rollercoaster promotion push one last effort.
Dan Long
Second leg on Friday May 16, 8pm - Live on Sky Sports
