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Notts County and Chesterfield will do battle for a place in the League Two playoff final on Friday, when they meet in the second leg of their semi-final tie.
The hosts picked up a one-goal victory in last week's first leg away from home to bring an advantage back to Meadow Lane.
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.
Notts County vs. Chesterfield key stats
- Only three sides have managed more home wins in League Two than Notts County (13) this season.
- Chesterfield's loss in Sunday's first leg ended an eight-game unbeaten streak in League Two.
- Chesterfield won both H2H games in the League Two regular season.
- Chesterfield's tally of 38 away points in League Two this season is the third most in the division.
Notts County vs. Chesterfield preview: Who can move within one game of a long-awaited League One return?
Notts County vs Chesterfield — Tale of the Tape
| Notts County | vs | Chesterfield |
|---|---|---|
| 5th | Position | 6th |
| 80 | Points | 79 |
| 74 | Goals For | 71 |
| 52 | Goals Against | 56 |
| 14 | Clean Sheets | 14 |
| 5th | Home / Away Rank | 3rd |
Notts County head into the second leg of their League Two playoff semi-final tie with a major advantage, having prevailed away from home last week to bring an aggregate lead back to their home tie.
The Magpies came into the playoffs in disappointing fashion, having found themselves firmly in the battle for automatic promotion in the run-in, only to suffer three defeats and pick up just seven points in their last six matches of the regular season to finish two short of third spot.
After ending with a draw against Bristol Rovers on the final day, they headed into a semi-final tie with Chesterfield and made the short trip for the first leg on Sunday, coming away with an all-important 1-0 victory thanks to Jayden Luker's first-half goal.
They now head into the second leg needing to draw or better to advance to Wembley in their bid to return to League One for the first time since 2015, with Lewis Macari, Matty Platt and Harald Tangen still sidelined by injuries.
Their opponents, meanwhile, came into the playoffs aiming to end their own nine-year absence from England's third tier, having fallen short in the semi-finals last time around.
After winning promotion from the National League and falling to Walsall in the League Two playoffs in 2024-25, Chesterfield again staked their claim for promotion this season, eventually finishing sixth on 79 points from their 46 games, with only the automatically promoted sides suffering fewer than their nine defeats.
The Spireites took their top-seven spot with an eye-catching end to the regular season, going eight games unbeaten and winning six of those including their last two matches, but they failed to make the most of home advantage in last week's semi-final first leg, falling to a 1-0 loss at the SMH Group Stadium.
Paul Cook may stick by striker Lee Bonis, who missed an early penalty in that match after netting 13 league goals this term, while key winger Armando Dobra was forced off in the first half and may miss out on Friday.
Chesterfield now head to Meadow Lane needing to again prevail away at Friday's opponents, having won 3-2 at the same stadium in March, to stand a chance of booking their spot in the final.
Notts County vs. Chesterfield form guide & betting tips
| Notts County | vs | Chesterfield |
|---|---|---|
LLWDW |
Form | WDWWL |
| 7 | Points | 10 |
| 11th | Form Table | 6th |
| 4 | Goals For | 7 |
| 7 | Goals Against | 4 |
LLWDW |
Form (All Comps) | WDWWL |
Whispers predicts: Notts County 1-1 Chesterfield (Notts County win 2-1 on aggregate)
Chesterfield will be forced to come out and attack at Meadow Lane given their deficit in the tie, and we envisage an open game as a result. Both Teams to Score is priced at 4/5.
Tom Iorpenda has been a key part of Notts County's attack this season, having set up Jayden Luker's goal in the first leg to make it four assists in his last eight matches. We fancy him to score or assist at 15/8 with Chesterfield likely to give the Magpies chance to counter.
Chesterfield have the quality to run Notts County close in the tie, given they possess one of the division's strongest away records, but we see the hosts ultimately staying ahead with home advantage. A draw on the night may be good value at 9/4.
> Both Teams to Score at 4/5 | Likelihood: Probable
> Tom Iorpenda to score or assist at 15/8 | Likelihood: Possible
> Draw at 9/4 | Likelihood: Possible