Hull City and Sheffield Wednesday will do battle in the Championship playoff final on Saturday as both teams look to secure the final spot in next season's Premier League.
A reported £170m is on offer to the winners, who will join Burnley and Middlesbrough in the top flight if they can emerge victorious in North London.
Hull City
© Getty ImagesAfter their relegation from the Premier League last May, it was reported that Steve Bruce's future at Hull was in some doubt but over the course of 46 league games and two playoff fixtures, Bruce has proven that it was the correct decision for him to remain at the KC Stadium.
It was inevitable that Bruce would see some of his star men depart the club before the start of the season but not only did the Tigers recoup almost £25m in transfer fees, the players brought into the club have proven astute signings and throughout the entire season, Hull did not drop below fifth position in the standings.
Losing just two of their opening 17 league games set the tone and although there have been stages during the campaign where wins have been difficult to come by, Hull have always regrouped to maintain their push at the top of the table.
A period of just three wins from 11 outings between February 13 and April 9 cost them the opportunity to challenge for automatic promotion during the run-in but the fact that Hull bounced back with 13 points from their final six games said plenty about the players that Bruce has at his disposal.
The Jekyll and Hyde nature of their playoff semi-final against Derby County put their supporters through a wide range of emotions but when they prepare to watch their team take to the pitch on Saturday, they will do so having seen their club hold out for 54 minutes plus added-on time in order to move one step away from a return to the big time.
That belief may turn out to be priceless during the closing stages of this weekend's contest but Hull will hope that Abel Hernandez has already netted the goals to put his team out of sight.
It came as a surprise when Bruce was able to retain the services of the Uruguayan international but his 22 goals from 44 games in all competitions have proven the difference this season and one more clinical display from their talisman could be enough to give Hull the edge over their opponents.
Recent form: DWLWWL
Sheffield Wednesday
© Getty ImagesWhen Carlos Carvalhal was appointed as the new manager of Sheffield Wednesday last summer, there would have been plenty of quizzical looks among the club's supporters during pre-season and when he only delivered six points from his first seven games, it seemed unlikely that the club's gamble on the Portuguese would pay off.
However, it is debatable whether the Owls board could have anticipated such a turn in fortunes for the club under the leadership of a man who had spent three years out of the game and arrived in English football as a relative unknown after struggling to hold down a role during his previous 15 years as a manager.
The turning point came towards the end of September when a last-minute goal from Lucas Joao helped the Owls to a 2-1 win at Brentford and since that game, the Yorkshire giants have suffered just seven defeats in 37 league games, 39 if you count their playoff semi-final triumph over Brighton & Hove Albion.
Their opponents were regarded as marginal favourites after competing for a top-two position all season but Wednesday capitalised on Brighton going so close to their first appearance in the Premier League by always holding the initiative in the tie after Ross Wallace's stunning strike at the end of the opening 45 minutes in the first leg at Hillsborough.
Wednesday have not possessed a striker who has scored over 20 goals this season but the fact that they have more options than Hull in the final third could be to their advantage when the teams lock horns at the weekend.
Hull will rely on Hernandez popping up with a goal but in Gary Hooper, Fernando Forestieri, Joao and Ross Wallace, Carvalhal will be confident that he can turn to any of that quartet and find a potentially decisive goal in the tie.
If you take away their defeat to Wolves on the final day of the season - a game in which Carvalhal rested some of his main men - Wednesday enter the game without losing in six outings and after seeing off Brighton in relatively comfortable fashion, confidence will be oozing from the Owls when they take to the Wembley turf.
Recent form: DDWLWD
Team News
© Getty ImagesFirst-choice Hull goalkeeper Allan McGregor has failed to recover from a back problem so Eldin Jakupovic will continue to deputise for the Scot between the sticks.
Bruce has no other injury concerns and will likely name an unchanged starting lineup, although David Meyler could potentially come into the side after helping his team get over the line in the second leg against Derby.
Carvalhal has no injuries to contend with as he prepares his players for the club's biggest fixture in over 20 years, with his only real selection dilemma concerning who will partner Kieran Lee in midfield.
Sam Hutchinson could get the nod after impressing off the bench during the second leg with Brighton.
Hull City possible starting lineup:
Jakupovic; Odubajo, Dawson, Davies, Robertson; Huddlestone, Livermore; Elmohamady, Diame, Snodgrass; Hernandez
Sheffield Wednesday possible starting lineup:
Westwood; Hunt, Lees, Loovens, Pudil; Wallace, Lee, Hutchinson, Bannan; Forestieri, Hooper
Head To Head
Saturday's fixture will represent the 50th time that the two teams have met in a competitive fixture with Sheffield Wednesday prevailing 20 times in comparison to the 11 wins registered by Hull.
Only 12 of those 50 matches have taken place since the turn of the millennium, with Hull having the upper hand with six wins to three.
However, the two meetings that have taken place during this campaign have ended in stalemate, with Hillsborough staging a 1-1 draw in October before the reverse fixture at the KC Stadium ended goalless.
We say: Hull City 2-1 Sheffield Wednesday
Hull have had to overcome the disappointment of missing out on automatic promotion to reach Saturday's final and we feel that the mental toughness that they have displayed will give them the edge at Wembley. Wednesday head into the game in better form but Hull are strong from front to back and they should have enough in reserve to earn an immediate return to the top flight.
