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Championship Playoff Final Preview: Owls set to cash in big if they escape wily Tigers lair

There are not many games in this day and age that carry the weight of expectation that the Championship playoff final does, not only for the teams involved but their local communities too.

The sheer size of the money on offer can put whoever wins on a sound financial footing for several years to come, even if they eventually drop back down as Hull City discovered recently.

They are 13/10 favourites to defeat the Owls in the pressure cooker game and they would have been far shorter, if Wednesday hadn’t seen off Brighton so impressively in the semi-finals.

Carlos Carvalhal’s side pulled off the classic trick of sneaking into the playoffs, then turning over the team that were flat as a pancake after just missing out on automatic promotion.

It was a bitter blow for Chris Hughton’s men, one many neutrals hope they learn from next season due to the goodwill surrounding the south coast side, but it gives Wednesday a chance to return to the top flight for the first time since 2000.

The steel city outfit were a regular fixture in the old First Division and Premier League during the late 1980s and 1990s, their third place finish in the 1991/92 season under Trevor Francis fuelled by David Hirst’s goals and Nigel Pearson’s captaincy.

Sadly for Owls fans, they have endured a rollercoaster existence since down the divisions however they have enjoyed a welcome return to form under Portuguese coach Carvalhal this season.

The omens were not good for him what with being the 11th manager at Hillsborough in 15 years, but the faith shown in him by new Thai owner Dejphon Chansiri is on the verge of paying off big time.

Much like Brentford last season, who used the loan system to so very nearly pull off a fairytale rise to the Premier League, Carvalhal has brought in players such as Michael Turner and Gary Hooper from Norwich - the latter now permanently.

Former Watford striker Fernando Forestieri snagged the Player of the Year award for his crucial goals, but Hooper, Lucas Joao, Kieran Lee and Ross Wallace also helped spread the load in that respect.

Keeper Keiren Westwood, who was so key to their fortunes the season before, has reinvented himself after a disappointing spell at Sunderland behind a defence lacking in star names but full of talent.

Their bullish attacking intent, though, stems from the likes of Sam Hutchinson and Barry Bannan in midfield who will need to be at their best to neutralise Hull’s classy array of internationals such as Tom Huddlestone, Jake Livermore, Robert Snodgrass and Mohamed Diamé.

No two ways about it, on paper Steve Bruce has an enviable squad to pick his starting XI from with Premier League veterans Michael Dawson and Curtis Davies also anchoring the team from central defence.

Throw in exciting young prospects like full-backs Moses Odubajo and Andrew Robertson, together with talismanic Uruguayan striker Abel Hernandez, and they look better equipped to thrive back up a division.

Football, though, as we have seen from Leicester City’s magical journey from near relegation to title winners in less than 18 months always has the capacity to surprise us.

With a savvy owner like Chansiri and canny boss like Carvalhal, Wednesday could make good use of the minimum £170m coming their way if they manage to get the better of Hull on the day.

After Crystal Palace were undone by highly questionable refereeing and clinical Manchester United finishing last weekend, many neutrals will be hoping the underdog celebrates at Wembley this time around.

Nonetheless Hull City have enjoyed Premier League football in four out of the last seven seasons and the smart money is riding on them to profit from a potential £110m windfall of their own.

Whatever happens, the first Championship playoff final between two Yorkshire clubs promises to be a humdinger with both teams throwing caution to the wind.

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