Sheffield United and Sunderland face off in football’s "richest game" on Saturday afternoon, and the Championship playoff final is scheduled to kick off a minute later than you might’ve expected.
A duel boasting such remarkable tension rarely makes for a grand spectacle, as defeat can render a season’s work irrelevant. So much is at stake. While Sunderland are aiming to return to the Premier League for the first time since 2017, Sheffield United are plotting their comeback at the first time of asking.
However, they‘ll have to overcome a Wembley hoodoo to down the team that finished 14 points worse off in the final Championship table but seemingly have the superior momentum despite the Blades’ comfortable semifinal triumph.
It’s a fixture which means so much, but the game’s subtly delayed kick-off time aims to remind supporters of a cause boasting even greater significance.
