Overview
- Friday night's first leg at a sold-out MKM Stadium starts Hull City's two-game tie with Millwall for a place at Wembley.
- City clinched sixth on Saturday with a 2-1 comeback win over Norwich, powered by Oli McBurnie’s second-half brace after six league games without a win.
- Manager Sergej Jakirovic reported a positive fitness picture with Matt Crooks and John Egan training and Mo Belloumi available, though Cody Drameh, Amir Hadziahmetovic and Eliot Matazo remain out.
- Millwall enter as favorites with the division’s best away record and a manager in Alex Neil who has multiple play-off promotions on his résumé, according to Sky Sports and betting markets.
- The tie carries heavy stakes because the winner moves within one game of the Premier League, and history notes Hull won promotion in both prior Championship play-off runs while sixth-placed teams rarely triumph.