Huddersfield Town handed perfect play-off omen as sides get set for £200m promotion battle

We now know the make-up of this year's Championship play-offs after a typically dramatic second tier season came to an end on Saturday.

The four sides that will feature in the end-of-season lottery are Huddersfield Town, Nottingham Forest, Sheffield United and Luton Town. The Terriers take on the Hatters over two legs, with Forest and the Blades also duelling it out. The winners of each tie will then meet in a one-off clash at Wembley on Sunday, May 29.

This year's showpiece final - regularly dubbed the world's richest match - is estimated to be worth £200million to the winners with the cash boost a handy bonus to the main prize of joining the elite band of clubs in the Premier League next season.

Whilst many say that form goes out of the window for play-offs, history tells us that one club potentially has a big advantage heading into the ties.

Since the Championship was rebranded back in the 2004-05 campaign, there have been 17 editions of the play-offs take place. And of those, the most common winner has been the side finishing in third place at the end of the 46-game regular season.

On no fewer than eight occasions has third place sealed victory in the final. The most recent example was last season when Brentford overcame Swansea (then bossed by current Forest chief Steve Cooper). Other teams to finish third and go on to seal their top flight place are Fulham (2018), Norwich (2015), West Ham (2012), Swansea (2011), Hull (2008), Derby (2007) and Watford (2006).

The second-most successful side in Championship play-off campaigns has been teams that finish fifth. This has occurred four times - Aston Villa (2019), Huddersfield (2017), Crystal Palace (2013) and Burnley (2009). Sides finishing in fourth place have