Championship play-off dates 2019: When are the semi-finals and final?

The end of the football season is approaching, and for teams in the hunt for a Championship play-off spot it becomes a nerve-wracking time of year, especially if dependent upon results in other matches.

Norwich and Sheffield United have already gained automatic promotion from the division to the Premier League for next season, but the winner of the league has not yet been decided. Norwich are three points ahead, but behind on goal difference, meaning a loss could hand the Blades the Championship title.

Read more: Are Leeds United falling apart again? How the Bielsa revolution ground to a halt

Leeds United and West Bromwich Albion are assured of third and fourth, the order is simply yet to be decided by the final match. Aston Villa will finish fifth in the table, while Derby County, Middlesbrough and Bristol City are all still in the hunt for sixth place.

While the Premier League promises riches and a wider audience – teams may be wary of the route last year’s play-off winners took. Fulham spent in the region of £100m in transfer fees, only to have their relegation to the Championship confirmed in March having dismissed two managers along the way.

The top tier is not always the promised land it seems.

Fixture dates and format

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The semi-final matches will be played over two legs, after which the winners on aggregate scoreline will advance to the final. If the aggregate scores are level at the end of ninety minutes in the second leg, extra time will be played, after which the match will be decided on penalties if the deadlock has not been broken.

In the event of a draw in the final, the match will also go to extra time and penalties. The Football League has already announced the dates for the play-off semi-final legs and the final. They are as follows:

Semi-final dates

First legs:

11 May 2019, 12.30pm, Villa Park: Aston Villa vs 4th

11 May 2019, 5.15pm, TBA: 6th vs 3rd

Second legs:

14 May 2019, 7.45pm, TBA: 4th vs Aston Villa

15 May 2019, 7.45pm, TBA: 3rd vs 6th

Final

27 May 2019, 3pm, Wembley Stadium