#play-offs

#play-offs

Sammie Szmodics has made quite the impact at Derby County since completing his loan move from Ipswich Town, as his new team continue to push for the play-offs.

The Championship final will be held on Saturday, 23 May, with League One to follow on Sunday, concluding with League Two on Monday.

City had revived their promotion bid with a weekend win at Hull, but they had some making up to do with home fans after being thumped 5-0 by Derby in their previous appearance at Ashton Gate. George Tanner escaped injury after being clattered by his own goalkeeper Radek Vitek and Neto Borges sent a shot skywards from the edge of the box.

But goals from Lucy Bronze and Sam Kerr secured a big win as Chelsea finished third in the 18-team standings, only behind fellow heavyweights Barcelona and Lyon. Chelsea had trailed to Alexandra Popp's close-range finish, but after the German side missed several chances to extend their lead, Bronze got a headed equaliser just before half-time. The Blues kicked on in the second half, and Kerr's looping header secured their victory. Wolfsburg finished ninth in the final standings, so they will be unseeded for the play-offs.

Northern Ireland will face hosts Canada, Qatar and Switzerland in Group B of the World Cup if they come through March's tricky play-off. Michael O'Neill's side finished third in their qualifying group behind Germany and Slovakia, but still booked a play-off spot thanks to their Nations League finish in 2024. Northern Ireland face a difficult play-off semi-final in Italy, who have not played at the World Cup since 2014, on 26 March in Path A.

A reminder of today's four pots, for when the actual draw eventually gets underway. Remember, Ireland are in pot four as UEFA play-off D, should they successfully navigate the play-offs in March. Pot 1: Canada, Mexico, USA, Spain, Argentina, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany. Pot 2: Croatia, Morocco, Colombia, Uruguay, Switzerland, Japan, Senegal, Iran, South Korea, Ecuador, Austria, Australia.

This time last year, Sunderland were dreaming of promotion to the Premier League after going top of the Championship table by beating Luton Town. Fast forward 12 months and the Black Cats have just beaten Club World Cup champions Chelsea to move to within two points of leaders Arsenal in the Premier League table. To describe Sunderland's start merely as a dream would be to do it a disservice.

Looks like the perfect fit, a real coup for Connacht, who now have the infrastructure in place to make big improvements.

Estudiantes Rio Cuarto is poised to strengthen their play-off position in Primera Nacional after an unbeaten run at home, contrasting Agropecuario's inconsistent performance.

Melbourne City's impressive form, including a recent 3-0 win against Western United, positions them strongly for the play-off final, despite their rivals' defensive woes.

Walsall holds a 2-0 advantage over Chesterfield as they head into the second leg of the League Two play-offs, aiming to secure a spot in the finals.

Airdrieonians demonstrated resilience by defeating Stenhousemuir, securing their spot in the Scottish Championship play-offs against Cove Rangers, aiming for league retention.

The League Two play-offs will start on May 11, 2025, featuring semi-finals on specified dates, leading to a final on May 26 hosted at Wembley.

Worthing is seeking to build momentum after a commanding 5-1 win, while Maidstone aims to regain form amid a disappointing finish to their campaign.