The English Football League play-offs for the 2020–21 season (referred to as the Sky Bet Play-Offs for sponsorship reasons) were held in May 2021, with all finals played at Wembley Stadium in London. The play-offs begin in each league with two semi-finals played over two legs. The teams who finished in 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th place in the Championship and League One and the 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th-placed teams in League Two are set to compete. The winners of the semi-finals advance to the finals, with the winner of the final gaining promotion for the following season.[1][2]
 Wembley Stadium was the venue for each play-off final | |
| Season | 2020–21 |
|---|---|
← 2020 2022 → | |
The away goals rule does not apply in the playoff semi-finals per the standard rules.
Background
editThe English Football League play-offs have been held every year since 1987. They take place for each division following the conclusion of the regular season and are contested by the four clubs finishing below the automatic promotion places. The fixtures are determined by final league position – in the Championship and League One this is 3rd v 6th and 4th v 5th, while in League Two it is 4th v 7th and 5th v 6th.
Championship
editQualified teams
edit| Final league position – Championship | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 3 | Brentford | 46 | 24 | 15 | 7 | 79 | 42 | +37 | 87 |
| 4 | Swansea City | 46 | 23 | 11 | 12 | 56 | 39 | +17 | 80 |
| 5 | Barnsley | 46 | 23 | 9 | 14 | 58 | 50 | +8 | 78 |
| 6 | Bournemouth | 46 | 22 | 11 | 13 | 73 | 46 | +27 | 77 |
First leg
edit| Bournemouth | 1–0 | Brentford |
|---|---|---|
Danjuma  55' |
Report |
| Barnsley | 0–1 | Swansea City |
|---|---|---|
| Report | A. Ayew 39' |
Second leg
editBrentford won 3–2 on aggregate.
| Swansea City | 1–1 | Barnsley |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
|
Swansea City won 2–1 on aggregate.
Championship final
editLeague One
edit| Final league position – League One | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 3 | Blackpool | 46 | 23 | 11 | 12 | 60 | 37 | +27 | 80 |
| 4 | Sunderland | 46 | 20 | 17 | 9 | 70 | 42 | +28 | 77 |
| 5 | Lincoln City | 46 | 22 | 11 | 13 | 69 | 50 | +19 | 77 |
| 6 | Oxford United | 46 | 22 | 8 | 16 | 77 | 56 | +21 | 74 |
First leg
Second leg
Blackpool won 6–3 on aggregate.
| Sunderland | 2–1 | Lincoln City |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
Lincoln City won 3–2 on aggregate.
Final
editLeague Two
edit| Final league position – League Two | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 4 | Morecambe | 46 | 23 | 9 | 14 | 69 | 58 | +11 | 78 |
| 5 | Newport County | 46 | 20 | 13 | 13 | 57 | 42 | +15 | 73 |
| 6 | Forest Green Rovers | 46 | 20 | 13 | 13 | 59 | 51 | +8 | 73 |
| 7 | Tranmere Rovers | 46 | 20 | 13 | 13 | 55 | 50 | +5 | 73 |
First leg
| Tranmere Rovers | 1–2 | Morecambe |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
|
Second leg
| Morecambe | 1–1 | Tranmere Rovers |
|---|---|---|
| Wildig 9' |
Report | Vaughan 53' |
Morecambe won 3–2 on aggregate.
Newport County won 5–4 on aggregate.
Final
edit| Morecambe | 1–0 (a.e.t.) | Newport County |
|---|---|---|
| Mendes Gomes 107' (pen.) |
Report |
References
edit- ^ "EFL Official Website - Rules & Regulations". www.efl.com. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
- ^ "EFL confirm play-off dates with games set for when fans are allowed back". talkSPORT. 12 April 2021. Retrieved 5 May 2021.