The sun has finally returned and with it comes a litany of action with two finals and one playoff to bring you from around the leagues and sports.

With the conclusion of many teams' and individuals' seasons arriving, there is no lack of drama to occupy you in a rip-roaring midweek of sport.

Monday 25th May Skybet League Two Playoff Final: Notts County v Salford, 15:00

The race for League One football match reaches its apex on Monday as a trip to Wembley will bring either jubilation or heartbreak for Notts County and Salford.

County finished the lowest of the two in fourth, with 80 points; they finished just two points away from the automatic promotion places and were denied that right to enter the top three on the final day with a 2-1 home defeat to Barnet.

Luckily, they picked themselves up from that last league loss to squeeze through a difficult semi-final against Chesterfield. A first leg victory of 1-0 at the SMH Group Stadium was sufficient to secure their advancement, following a 0-0 draw in Nottingham in the second leg.

Grimsby opened the first leg of Salford's similarly turbulent semi-final with a goal in the first minute. After that it was a first-half comeback that saw them eventually win 2-1.

The second leg at Salford saw the home side take the initiative early in the second half, then two goals in quick succession from Grimsby saw them even the aggregate score and take proceedings to extra time.

A 117th-minute goal from Cesay tipped the balance in Salford’s favour, and with a 2-2 second-leg scoreline, it was Salford that booked their place at Wembley.

With only a single point separating them in the table, a close encounter is anticipated. However, Salford holds the advantage, having won three out of four meetings between the two, including the playoffs. All three of those wins have been decided by just a single goal, and much of the same tightness and competitiveness is expected when the two sides meet in the capital.

Date: 25/05/2026

Time: 15:00

Venue: Wembley Stadium, London

The match will be shown on Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Football.

 

Wednesday, 27th May: UEFA Conference League Final: Crystal Palace v Rayo Vallecano 20:00

Now we shift attention to another crucial final as both Crystal Palace and Rayo Vallecano look to make history and win their clubs' first ever European trophy.

Palace has become somewhat of a trophy hoarder lately compared to their previous history. With an FA Cup and Charity Shield now in their cabinet from last season, Palace are now looking significantly different from the trophyless club they were for the first 114 years of their existence.

Now all has changed in Croydon, and more chances for space to be filled in the cabinet after that historic FA Cup final win lead them into the Conference league, where the Eagles have since taken to it like a duck to water. Palace struggled in the early rounds but fought through the group stage to finish tenth. Not much was expected after a disappointing league finish, and things still looked shaky with marginal wins over Zrinjski and Larnaka, setting up a more dominant 4-2 aggregate win over Fiorentina in the quarters.

Things got easier in the semi-final against Shakhtar, where a 3-1 away win for Palace in the first leg and a 2-1 home win secured a place in the final.

With a mid-table finish in the Premier League secured for most of the season, the focus has shifted to European success for the majority of 2025/26.

Standing in their way is Rayo Vallecano, a side that has confirmed eight in La Liga and is looking to bookend a successful top-half season with their first-ever top-flight trophy.

Rayo finished fifth in the league phase and only lost a single match before the knockouts. The ease of the league carried over for the side from Madrid, as dominant displays against Samsunspor and AEK Athens have led them to an opportunity to write themselves into Vallecano and Spanish football history.

Irrespective of the result, a win for either will guarantee the apex of the club’s history and a day the fans will never forget.

Date: 27/05/2026

Time: 20:00

Venue: Red Bull Arena, Leipzig

The match will be shown on TNT Sports 1, Premier Sports Player
 

Thursday, 28th May: BetMGM Premier League Playoffs: Luke Littler v Gerwyn Price 19:10

The Drats Premier League playoffs are finally here, and things get kicked off in London with a meeting between first and fourth as runaway leader and defending champion Luke Littler faces off with Gerwyn Price.

Littler finished the campaign with an astonishing nine-point gap to second, utterly dominating proceedings with just ten matches lost and six nightly wins to his name. Nights 12 to 14 were the highlights for The Nuke, which registered three back-to-back nightly wins.

Zero final appearances for Littler in the last two nights have tempered his potential points tally, but the playoffs have been confirmed for him for multiple weeks now, and he would not be blamed for turning his attention to the playoffs weeks ago.

It was a performance to forget for The Nuke in night 16, where a 6-1 semi-final loss to long-time rival Luke Humphries saw him crash out in Sheffield.

Gerwyn Price had a similar exit in the semis to eventual winner Stephen Bunting, who confirmed the Welshman’s exit with a 6-3 win.

Price has taken home two nightly wins this campaign, and the Iceman almost made it three, if not for a defeat to Luke Humphries in the final of night 15.

A solid campaign, where he finished comfortably in the playoffs by eight points, will give him confidence heading into what could be the hardest match of his season.

Facing Littler has been a problem for Price recently, who has failed to win any of their previous eight meetings. Six of those meetings have been within the Premier League, with Littler remaining unbeaten the entire campaign against Price.

The Welshman hopes to reverse that record at the O2, but it will be a challenging task if Littler performs at his usual level.

Expect a corker in the capital, filled with all the drama and intrigue typical of a fiery playoff clash.

Date: 28/05/2026

Time: 19:10

Venue: O2 Arena, London

The match will be shown on Sky Sports Darts.