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Either Bolton Wanderers or Stockport County will be crowned as League One playoff winners on Sunday and seal their promotion to the Championship, as they meet at Wembley in the playoff final.
Both sides won each leg of their semi-final ties, with Bolton getting the better of Bradford City and Stockport County getting past Stevenage after their semi-final exit last season.
Read our prediction, preview and betting tips for the game below, and make sure to check out our today's betting tips page for more of our expert predictions.
Bolton Wanderers vs. Stockport County key stats
- Bolton Wanderers are winless in the last four H2Hs – losing three and drawing one.
- Bolton Wanderers have made the League One playoffs in three of the last four seasons, most recently losing in the 2023-24 final.
- Stockport County have won four of their last five League One matches.
- Only three sides have scored more League One goals than Stockport County (74) this season.
Bolton Wanderers vs. Stockport County preview: Who can end exorcise playoff demons and ascend to Championship?
Bolton Wanderers vs Stockport County — Tale of the Tape
| Bolton Wanderers | vs | Stockport County |
|---|---|---|
| 5th | Position | 3rd |
| 75 | Points | 77 |
| 70 | Goals For | 71 |
| 52 | Goals Against | 58 |
| 13 | Clean Sheets | 14 |
Bolton Wanderers find themselves in their third League One playoff campaign of the last four seasons aiming to prevail in Sunday's final and make their return to the Championship for the first time since 2019.
In their first full season under Steven Schumacher, they finished the regular campaign in fifth spot having earned 75 points from their 46 games, winning 19 while only champions Lincoln City suffered fewer than their nine defeats.
The Trotters were able to keep hold of a top-six spot by a narrow margin despite a slow end to the term, winning just one of their last six matches and losing on the final day, but they advanced through their semi-final tie in impressive fashion nonetheless, firstly hosting Bradford City in the first leg and leading 1-0 in the tie through Amario Cozier-Duberry.
A trip to Bradford for the second leg followed and Schumacher's men withstood pressure to come out on top, moving all but out of site as Xavier Simons scored 10 minutes from time against the run of play, making it 1-0 on the night and 2-0 on aggregate.
Now with one game between them and a long-awaited return to the second tier, but facing the likely absence of Eoin Toal who was forced off in the first half last time out and with Marcus Forss, Corey Blackett-Taylor and Kyle Dempsey out, Bolton Wanderers will hope to go one better than their 2024 final defeat and climb to the Championship with a win in the capital.
Stockport County, meanwhile, also head south from Lancashire aiming to climb to England's second tier for the first time since 2002.
They have enjoyed an impressive rise in recent years, never finishing below fourth in any division since 2020-21 while earning two promotions in that time, and they were denied another climb in their maiden League One term last time around in a playoff semi-final defeat.
Dave Challinor's side have again laid a strong claim for promotion this term, finishing third by earning 77 points from their 46 outings, having leapfrogged their final opponents to take third with a win on the last day, and they carried that momentum into the semi-final, winning the away leg 1-0 at Stevenage thanks to Ben Osborn's late goal.
The Hatters then got the job done at home, winning 2-0 on the night and 3-0 on aggregate, with their recent success coming despite a defensive injury crisis, forcing key striker and top scorer Kyle Wootton to join Ethan Pye at the back in the absence of Brad Hills, Joseph Olowu and Callum Connolly alongside Callum Camps.
With Wootton, who was able to get on the scoresheet in the second leg, bound to continue at centre-back on Sunday, Stockport County will hope to continue to defy their squad issues and get over the line to earn a third promotion in five years.
Bolton Wanderers vs. Stockport County form guide & betting tips
| Bolton Wanderers | vs | Stockport County |
|---|---|---|
DDLWW |
Form | WLWWW |
| 8 | Points | 12 |
| 9th | Form Table | 3rd |
| 8 | Goals For | 10 |
| 7 | Goals Against | 4 |
DDLWW |
Form (All Comps) | WLWWW |
Whispers predicts: Bolton Wanderers 1-1 Stockport County (Stockport County win 2-1 after extra time)
Neither team conceded across their two-legged semi-finals ties and Sunday's final should be cagey and dominated by strong defences. Under 2.5 goals in 90 minutes is priced at 17/20.
Both sides possess an abundance of quality in their ranks and head into a crucial final desperate not to give the game away. With two evenly-matches teams in a nervy setting, we see a draw in 90 minutes as good value at 21/10.
If Bolton Wanderers are to score, Amario Cozier-Duberry is unlikely to be far from the action, having been their star attacker for large parts of the season, scoring nine goals and assisting 10 in 36 leaue appearances. He is priced at 11/10 to score or assist anytime including extra time.
> Under 2.5 goals – 90 minutes at 17/20 | Likelihood: Probable
> Draw – 90 minutes at 21/10 | Likelihood: Possible
> Amario Cozier-Duberry to score or assist | Likelihood: Probable