Coventry City (5)1-1(6) Luton Town Replay: EFL Championship playoffs final 2022-23

7:15 PM: Hello everyone and welcome to Khel Now’s LIVE COVERAGE of the Coventry City vs Luton Town match in the EFL Championship playoffs final 2022-23. The kick-off is just two hours away! I’m your host Govind, and I’ll be keeping you company through what promises a fascinating evening of football. Please wait for 30 Seconds for the Live blog to load.

Referee Michael Oliver has a tough match to officiate as Coventry City and Luton Town collide in EFL Championship Play Offs finals. The games result will have a drastic effect on the history of both the clubs. A win in normal time or via penalties could earn them fortunes. Both in terms of prize money and getting a chance to field their team in the top flight of English football.

After Vincent Kompany’s Burnley and Paul Heckingbottom’s Sheffield United secured promotion to the Premier League. Only one berth was left to be battled out from semi final knockouts.

The two finalists have had a very different journey. Luton Town overturned a 2-1 deficit at Kenilworth Road against Sunderland. While Coventry City scored the only goal over 180 minutes played between them and Middlesbrough.

Both Coventry City and Luton Town will go all out as the EFL Play-Off finals win will deservingly give them the last berth in the Premier League.

Form

Coventry City (in all competitions): W-D-D-W-W

Luton Town (in all competitions): W-L-D-D-W

Players to Watch

Gustavo Hamer (Coventry City)

Gustavo Hamer, a 25-year-old defensive midfielder for Coventry City, joined the team in 2020 from the Dutch side, PEC Zwolle. With his class and quality, he causes problems in the final third alongside Allen. Hamer’s energy and game-reading skills are impressive, leading to timely interceptions and excellent first-touch passes. His stunning top-corner finish gave Coventry the lead, showcasing his versatility as a goal scorer. In 41 Championship games, he has scored 9 goals and provided 10 assists. Hamer’s brilliant display has made him a standout player for The Sky Blues.

Elijah Adebayo (Luton Town)

Adebayo had opened the score for Luton Town when they met The Black Cats at Stadium of Light. Although Luton returned home with a 2-1 loss. Elijah Adebayo caused many sorts of problems for Sunderland in the second leg of the EFL Play-Offs semi-finals also. The team effort and aerial threats in the second leg were enough to overturn fortunes at home. The 25-year-old centre-forward has had a memorable spell in the Championship season. In 42 appearances he managed to bag 7 goals while also finding his teammates 3 times. Now he can be decisive for Luton Town at Wembley to hand them the PL promotion.

Match Facts

• In the 2022-23 EFL Championship, Luton Town and Coventry faced each other twice. Both games ended in draws (a 2-2 draw on 15 Sept 2022 and a 1-1 draw on 11 Feb 2023).
• The last time Luton Town played top-flight football was in 1991-92 season. However, Coventry City appeared in 2000-01 season.
• This is set to be Luton’s first-ever Play-Offs final appearance in Football League. While, Coventry are unbeaten in Play-Offs matches they have featured (3 wins, 2 draws)

Injury & Team News

Kasey Palmer was seen back in training with the rest of the boys but is unlikely to feature due to a lack of match fitness. Callum O’Hare remains out with an ACL injury. Coventry City’s Fabio Tavares is also sidelined.

After conquering Sunderland at Kenilworth Road, Luton Town will send a fully fit squad to the final at Wembley.

Head to Head

Total Matches – 88

Coventry City wins – 41

Luton Town wins – 28

Draws – 19

Predicted Lineup for Coventry City vs Luton Town

Coventry City predicted lineup (3-5-1-1)

Wilson (GK); McNally, McFadzean, Doyle; Norton-Cuffy, Hamer, Kelly, Sheaf, Bidwell; Allen; Gyokeres

Luton Town predicted lineup (3-5-2)

Horvarth (GK); Osho, Lockyer, Bell; Drameh, Clark, Nakamba, Ruddock, Doughty; Morris, Adebayo