Sunderland will face Sheffield United in the Championship playoff final after Daniel Ballard’s header in the final seconds of extra time snatched a 1-1 home draw against Coventry City on Tuesday to secure a 3-2 aggregate victory.
The hosts were closing in on a place in the May 24 final at Wembley after Friday’s 2-1 first-leg win, but Coventry’s Ephron Mason-Clark levelled the tie 15 minutes from time, beating his marker to score with a low shot.
While Frank Lampard’s Coventry looked the better team throughout, Sunderland came alive in extra time and Ballard sent the Stadium of Light into raptures in the 123rd minute, rising to crash home a header from Enzo Le Fee’s corner.
Sunderland, who were winless in their final six regular season games, knew the dangers of getting ahead of themselves, having held a 2-1 advantage after the first leg of their 2022-23 playoff semifinal against Luton Town only to lose the return fixture 2-0.
Regis Le Bris’ side will hope to return to the Premier League for the first time since 2017, while Sheffield United is looking to return to the top flight after an absence of just one year.
The playoff final is the most lucrative one-off match in world soccer, with Sunderland in line to get an estimated revenue uplift of around £200 million ($260 million) in projected matchday, broadcast and commercial revenue — and much more if the team was to survive the first season back in the top flight.
For Sheffield United, the uplift would be an estimated $180 million as the club is still benefitting from parachute payments from the last time the team was in the Premier League in the 2023-24 season.
Information from Reuters and The Associated Press was used in this report.
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