West Brom vs Southampton prediction: ENGLAND: Championship – Play Offs betting tips on match 2024-05-11 13:15.
[p]Although they went into the final round of fixtures with a three-game losing streak and without their play-off place guaranteed, West Brom did what was required with a 3-0 home win over Preston that helped them leapfrog Norwich into fifth place in the Championship. That set up this two-legged affair against fourth-placed Southampton, a side who have already done the double over the Baggies this season including a 2-0 win at the Hawthorns, the site of Sunday’s first leg.[/p]
[p]This will be the Baggies’ fourth attempt to get to the top flight via the play-offs and they have failed on each of the previous three including a Wembley heartbreak in 2007. Head coach Carlos Corberán also fell at the same final hurdle in charge of Huddersfield in 2022, but older West Brom fans will be clinging to their 1993 promotion at Wembley, from what is now League One, for hope and inspiration ahead of this tie.[/p]
[p]Southampton are a relative novice of the play-offs in comparison with only one previous appearance in any division, and that also came in 2007 when they were knocked out on penalties by eventual winners Derby County. This is also the first time that manager Russell Martin has seen his season extended after previously failing to finish any campaign higher than tenth.[/p]
[p]Martin described the Saints’ away victory over West Brom in February as their “best win of the season” at the time, a result which saw him record his sixth win out of six against the Baggies. As he chases his seventh, his side will also travel to the West Midlands with plenty of belief after they also ended a three-game losing streak by beating fellow play-off competitors Leeds United 2-1 away last Saturday.[/p]
[p]Players to watch: Darnell Furlong got a goal and an assist against Preston to take the full back’s tally to eight goal involvements this season (G5, A3) with West Brom unbeaten across seven matches in which he scored or assisted (W4, D3). Southampton’s Adam Armstrong has directly contributed to 34 league goals this campaign (A13), including the winner against West Brom in November, but he failed to score or provide an assist in either of his three previous visits to the Hawthorns.[/p]
[p]Hot streak: Southampton failed to score a second-half goal in any of their last five away matches.[/p]