/https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.footballwhispers.com%2Fmain%2F2026%2F05%2FNorwood.jpg)
Either Stockport County or Stevenage will book their place at Wembley for the League One playoff final, when they square off at Edgeley Park in the second leg of their semi-final tie on Wednesday.
The hosts bring a 1-0 lead back from the away leg thanks to a goal with one of the final touches of Saturday's first meeting, leaving Stevenage with an uphill task to overturn the tie and advance to the final.
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.
Stockport County vs. Stevenage key stats
- Stockport County have won three of their last four League One matches.
- Stockport County avenged a pair of defeats to Stevenage in the regular season with Saturday's first-leg victory.
- Only the bottom three sides in the table scored fewer League One goals than Stevenage (49) this season.
- Stevenage have lost 11 of their 23 League One away games this season.
Stockport County vs. Stevenage preview: Hosts to extend lead and book Wembley ticket?
Stockport County vs Stevenage — Tale of the Tape
| Stockport County | vs | Stevenage |
|---|---|---|
| 3rd | Position | 6th |
| 77 | Points | 75 |
| 71 | Goals For | 49 |
| 58 | Goals Against | 49 |
| 13 | Clean Sheets | 19 |
| 7th | Home / Away Rank | 12th |
Stockport County return to League One playoff action on Wednesday with a one-goal lead aiming to go one better than last season's effort and book their place in next week's final at Wembley.
After dropping at the semi-final stage last time around, denying them a third promotion in four years, the Hatters have again fought around the top end of England's third tier this season, eventually finishing third on 77 points from their 46 outings.
Dave Challinor's side secured that third-placed finish, and a home semi-final second leg against sixth place, with a final-day 3-1 win away at Barnsley, thanks to goals from Adama Sidibeh, Oliver Norwood and Benony Andresson, seeing them end with 22 wins and 71 goals scored while no side in the top seven conceded more than the 58 they allowed.
Then with Stevenage standing between them and the final, the Hatters faced the away leg on Saturday and looked set to come back to Edgeley Park on level terms in a goalless stalemate, only for Ben Osborn to capitalise on defensive hesitation and break the deadlock deep into injury time.
Now heading back to home turf with a one-goal advantage to defend, Stockport County will hope to extend their lead early on Wednesday and book their spot in the final, while still contending with widespread injuries including to defenders Callum Connolly, Joseph Olowu and Brad Hills which have forced striker and top scorer Kyle Wootton to play at centre-back in recent weeks.
Their visitors, meanwhile, make the trip to Greater Manchester in midweek knowing only a victory would suffice to keep their promotion hopes alive.
As the clock ticked over the 90th minute on the final day of the regular season, Stevenage looked set to drop out of the League One playoff spots, as they found themselves goalless at home to Wigan and below Luton Town as a result, but they would regain a top-six spot in dramatic fashion as Dan Sweeney broke the deadlock and snatched all three points in injury time.
That saw Alex Revell's side finish on 75 points from their 46 matches, having won 21 and lost 13 of those, but they failed to carry the momentum of that final-day triumph into Saturday's home leg.
Seeking to make the most of home advantage before a tough trip to Edgeley Park, the Boro faced attacking troubles that have not been uncommon this term, failing to take a lead before seeing the visitors go ahead in the dying embers.
Now facing an even tougher task on Wednesday knowing they must win on the night to stand a chance of progressing to Wembley, Stevenage come into the contest aiming to upset the odds and make it three victories over Stockport County this term after enjoying a double in the regular season.
Stockport County vs. Stevenage form guide & betting tips
| Stockport County | vs | Stevenage |
|---|---|---|
LWLWW |
Form | DWDWL |
| 9 | Points | 8 |
| 8th | Form Table | 10th |
| 8 | Goals For | 5 |
| 5 | Goals Against | 4 |
LWLWW |
Form (All Comps) | DWDWL |
Whispers predicts: Stockport County 1-0 Stevenage (Stockport County win 2-0 on aggregate)
While Stevenage must chase the game, they have struggled on the road this season, losing 11 away matches in the regular season, and we fancy Stockport County extending their lead and winning on the night at 17/20.
Stockport County may be focussed on their defensive effort given the injury issues and their lead, while Stevenage have failed to score 12 times this season and kept 19 clean sheets in League One this season. That leads us towards opting for Both Teams to Score – No at 4/5 – perhaps slightly longer than it would be in the regular season given the stakes of the game.
Given their attacking struggles and defensive solidity, only two of Stevenage's last 12 games have seen three or more goals. Under 2.5 goals is priced at 7/10.
> Both Teams to Score – No at 4/5 | Likelihood: Probable
> Stockport County to win at 17/20 | Likelihood: Probable
> Under 2.5 goals at 7/10 | Likelihood: Likely