Yahoo News Aston Villa vs Derby County, Championship play-off final 2019: What time is kick-off, what TV channel is it on and what is our prediction?
What is it?
The Championship play-off final between Aston Villa and Derby County. The prize? A place in the Premier League for the 2019/20 season, estimated to be worth around £170million.
Aston Villa beat West Bromwich Albion on penalties to get here, while Derby orchestrated a stunning comeback, beating Leeds 4-2 at Elland Road to overcome a 1-0 first-leg home defeat.
When is it?
Monday 27 May - which is a bank holiday - at Wembley Stadium.
What time is kick-off?
The game will kick off at 3pm.
What TV channel is it on?
The game will be on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football from 2pm. Sky Sports subscribers will also be able to stream the match live on the SkyGo app on their laptop, tablet or mobile device.
If you don’t have Sky, you can watch the match through NOW TV. You can get a Sky Sports day pass for £8.99, a week pass for £14.99 or a month pass for £33.99, without needing a contract.
You can watch NOW TV via computer or apps found on most smart TVs, tablets, phones and games consoles.
What is the team news?
Aston Villa are waiting on the fitness of key defender Axel Tuanzebe, who picked up an injury against West Brom. He has impressed on loan from Manchester United this season.
Long-term injuries to goalkeeper Orjan Nyland, Thomas Carroll and Jordan Lyden will rule them out, but Dean Smith's side otherwise have a clean bill of health.
Derby will be without left-back Scott Malone, was was devastated to get sent off in the 4-2 win over Leeds, meaning he is ruled out of the final. Malone picked up a second yellow in stoppage time after getting booked in the first half for preventing Leeds from taking a quick throw-in.
"I'm really disappointed for him because it is such a big occasion," said Derby manager Frank Lampard, "but again, as a squad, we will have to work around it."
Striker Martyn Waghorn is a doubt after missing the Leeds game with an injury he picked up against West Brom on the final season, while Ashley Cole and Craig Bryson remain sidelined.
Central midfielder Andy King will miss the game with the ankle injury he picked up in February, when the Leicester loanee was ruled out for the season.
What are they saying?
Aston Villa manager Dean Smith after the win over West Brom:
We worked very hard at penalties from the day we knew we were in the play-offs. We had a plan and worked at it for four weeks.
I’m actually disappointed we lost the game, our quality wasn’t good enough, but it’s job done in terms of getting to Wembley. We’ve got players who will have know how last year felt and hopefully we can go one better.
Derby manager Frank Lampard after the win over Leeds:
I wanted it so much, sometimes you can want something too much, but we have done it tonight. They say emotions are intensified when you are a manager and it is true.
As a manager you are worrying about so many different things, you feel responsible for everything, so the euphoria after a result like that, after losing the first leg 1-0, it is easy to get caught up in the emotion.
The feeling I’ve had tonight matches anything I’ve had in football, the way I’m feeling right now. I aimed high, I was aware of the financial issues, so to get to Wembley, it is fantastic.
What are the odds?
Aston Villa win: 6/5
Draw (after 90 minues): 23/20
Derby win: 12/5
What's our prediction?
Despite Aston Villa being the favourites, there's just a feeling around Frank Lampard's Derby after that stunning win over Leeds. Lampard is proving himself to be a manager for the big occasion - just as he was as a player - and the momentum may just carry him all the way back to the Premier League.
Aston Villa 2 Derby County 3
