League 1 play-off final - Bradford v Millwall: Both teams at full strength
Saturday 20 May 2017 13:39, UK
Bradford and Millwall will fight it out at Wembley in the League One play-off final with promotion to the Sky Bet Championship at stake.
Bradford, who finished fifth in the league and came through a two-legged semi-final with Fleetwood 1-0 on aggregate, are aiming to return to the second tier of English football for the first time since 2004.
"If come the final whistle we've won the game then it would probably eclipse anything I've done in football to be honest," said Bradford boss Stuart McCall.
Live League One Play-Off Final
"I've been very lucky to have played for some good sides and won cups and leagues, but I think if you can manage a team at Wembley to win promotion, at a club that means a lot to you, it will probably eclipse everything.
"I don't want to think too far ahead or think too much about it, but it would be nice if we could do it."
Millwall boss Neil Harris was in charge last season where the Lions lost in the final against Barnsley.
"The big games we've had this year, the play-off games and the final last year, and the FA Cup (run to the quarter-finals) this year, Charlton home and away, Bristol Rovers (a must-win to reach the playoffs), two Scunthorpe games (in the play-off semis) set us in really good stead.
"But there's no given right we're just going to perform - we have to make it happen."
Team news
Bradford's only injury doubt is Alex Jones, who missed both legs of the semi-final against Fleetwood Town with a hamstring injury. Otherwise, they are at full-strength.
Harris has no new injury worries ahead of the final. Defender Shaun Hutchinson played through the pain barrier with a broken rib in the semi-final and is likely to do so again.
Opta stats
These two sides met in the League One play-off semi-finals last year. Millwall won 3-1 at Bradford and drew 1-1 at the Den, before losing to Barnsley in the final at Wembley.
Millwall's Lee Gregory has scored in each of his last three matches in all competitions against the Bantams, including a goal in each leg of the play-off semi-finals last season.
Indeed, Gregory also scored in the Lions' 3-2 play-off semi-final win over Scunthorpe this season, with strike partner Steve Morison netting the other two.
Bradford finished fifth in League One. The last side to finish fifth in League One and reach the play-off final were Swindon Town in 2010; they lost 1-0 to Millwall in the final. Millwall have now reached the final in each of their last four play-off campaigns; 2009 (L), 2010 (W), 2016 (L).
Bradford have won promotion on both occasions they have made the play-off final in any tier; winning 2-0 vs Notts County in 1996 and winning 3-0 vs Northampton in 2013.
The team finishing fifth hasn't won the League One play-offs since 2005/06, when Barnsley secured promotion to the Championship against Swansea City.
The team in sixth place won the League One play-offs last term (Barnsley); the last time the sixth-placed team won the third-tier play-offs in consecutive seasons was back in 1997 (Bradford in 95/96 & Crewe 96/97).
The Bantams have lost just one of their last nine matches in all competitions against Millwall, although they've won just twice (W2 D6 L1).
Since his debut for the club in February, Charlie Wyke (10) has been directly involved in more goals in all competitions than any other Bradford player (seven goals, three assists).
Prutton predicts
This is a mouth-watering play-off final. Millwall were excellent in the second leg at Scunthorpe and they really had to survive an onslaught towards the end of the game.
They showed great control and were very clinical up front with Steve Morrison and Lee Gregory playing well together and they'll be hoping that continues at Wembley.
Obviously last season they came very close but bumped into a Barnsley team at Wembley who had picked up a momentum since the turn of the year which took them all the way.
Bradford will pose Millwall problems. The pace that they've got can cause plenty of problems.
Will the disappointment of last season fuel Millwall? If it does then I think they hold a slight advantage.
Neil Harris has plenty of experience and he'll have his side physically and mentally ready.
It will be close but I'm backing Millwall to use the heartbreak of last season to edge it after extra-time.
PRUTTON PREDICTS: Millwall to win 2-1 after extra-time (Sky Bet's odds: Millwall to win promotion - 4/5)
