• Bradford City have failed to win any of their past 11 league matches against Bolton Wanderers (including play-offs - D7 L4), losing the first leg of this tie 1-0, with this run already their longest without victory against Bolton in their history.
• Bolton are unbeaten on each of their past five league visits to Bradford, although they have drawn each of their last four (W1).
• Bradford have still managed to progress to the play-off final on two of the three previous occasions that they lost the first leg of a semi-final tie, losing 0-2 to Blackpool in 1996 but winning the tie 3-2 on aggregate and losing 2-3 to Burton Albion in 2013 before coming back to win the tie 5-4.
• Bolton lost two of their final four away matches of the regular League One season (W1 D1), as many defeats as they suffered on the road across their previous 13 outings. They did avoid defeat in their final away match of the season – drawing 1-1 with Bradford.
• Bradford failed to win any of their last three home matches of the regular League One season (D2 L1), conceding exactly once in all three matches - this after they won 10 of their previous 12 at Valley Parade (D1 L1), keeping eight clean sheets in the process.
• Bradford managed just three shots in the first leg of this play-off tie, only managing fewer in the league this season against Lincoln City in January (2), whilst it was the first time this season that they failed to register a shot on target.
• Bolton have never previously won both legs of a play-off semi-final tie, while they won just one of their nine away legs (D2 L6) – that was in their most recent at Barnsley in 2024 however (3-1).

Ian Woodcock
BBC Sport at Valley Parade

Image source, Shutterstock

We have had a bit of everything weather wise in this corner of West Yorkshire today, sun, hail, rain... lots of rain.

It has absolutely chucked it down for the past hour or so but as kick off approaches the sun is back out and, the pitch looks immaculate.

A lot of the fans have taken their seats early to really crank up the atmosphere in here.

Bolton's payers have just gone into the Bradford half of the pitch to applaud their traveling support and that has not been terrifically received by the Bantams fans.

If the action on the pitch can match the passion in the stands we could be in for a great night.

Bolton Wanderers

Bolton Wanderers boss Steven Schumacher believes he, his coaching staff and players are more than ready to finish the job they started against Bradford City in tonight's second leg.

This is Wanderers tenth appearance in the end-of-season shootout from which they would like to add a third promotion.

"We've had cup finals and games to get promoted and win the league before but this is my first experience of a play-off second leg so I'm looking forward to it," Schumacher told BBC Radio Manchester.

"It's another fixture we've got to get through, understand how we go about it with the ball, figure out ways to hurt Bradford and then figure out what they're good at and try to stop them."

Bolton have already met the Bantams four times this season with Saturday's first-leg victory preceded by two league draws and a victory in the EFL Trophy and Schumacher is not expecting tonight's game to be much different.

"There's not been much difference in any of the games we've played against them this season. It's been really well fought, hard battles and the games have followed a similar pattern," he added.

"The only difference now is Bradford have to come out and get on the front foot and try to put you under more pressure than they usually do as they're a goal behind, but it won't change how we approach the game."

Bradford City

A sold-out Valley Parade can do its part in getting Bradford City to the League One play-off final, according to Bantams boss Graham Alexander.

Only the two automatically-promoted sides of Lincoln City and Cardiff City have taken more home points in League One this season than Bradford's 50, and Alexander is counting on home advantage playing a big part to turn around the tie.

"It's part of the whole experience of the game but we have to do our part," Alexander told BBC Radio Leeds.

"Valley Parade just as a building is not enough, it's the people who are in it.

"Part of it is the players and how they approach the game but the fans have bought into and played their part, we've seen so many times over the past two seasons."

In two of their past three play-off semi-finals where they have been trailing from the first leg, Bradford have managed to win through to the final and the head coach is pleased to get it down to just the one match now.

"There is clarity - we have to win the game," added Alexander.

"The way we've approached all our games over the past two years is we have to win, we've never gone into a game targeting anything less."

Image source, Shutterstock

Bolton take a slender 1-0 lead into tonight's second leg at Valley Parade.

Amario-Cozier-Duberry's 60th-minute goal in Saturday's first leg has given the Trotters the advantage and, avoiding defeat tonight will take them to Wembley for a chance to regain the Championship place they lost in 2019.

Cozier-Duberry hit the post just two minutes after putting his side ahead while Bradford failed to produce a single shot on target.

"We're glad to get ourselves in front, that was the objective in the tie, to be ahead going to Valley Parade, so overall I'm pleased," said Bolton boss Steven Schumacher after the first 90 minutes.

Opposite number Graham Alexander, meanwhile, remains positive.

"We're disappointed to be losing 1-0 in the tie because we wanted more than that but we've come from behind in many games, and we've got a full game to get back into it. We know what we create at home and it's all to play for," he said.

Image source, Shutterstock

This could be a tense one tonight so why not get things off your chest by sending us your views?

• Who is going to take the final step to Wembley, the Bantams or the Trotters?
• Which players are likely to make the difference?
• Bolton fans, do you feel this year will finally be your year? Does it feel different to previous play-off campaigns?
• Bradford supporters, what has been behind this campaign? How have you managed to perform above pre-season expectations?

Click on the 'Get Involved' button on this page and we will publish a selection of your thoughts throughout the evening.

Image source, Getty Images

Stockport County will be keen spectators tonight as they wait to see who they will face in the League One play-off final on Sunday, 24 May.

The Hatters were 2-0 winners over Stevenage in the second leg of their semi-final last night to go through 3-0 on aggregate.

Louie Barry gave County a 14th-minute lead on the night before Kyle Wootton added a second just before the half-hour mark.

"We'll take all the pats on the back for getting this far, but we now have the biggest game of the season in front of us, and it's about how we perform on that day," said Stockport boss Dave Challinor.

"We have a week leading into a game which is nice. It's a massive occasion to look forward to, but we're going there to win, and that's the most important thing."

Image source, Getty Images

The winner of tonight's tie will meet Stockport in the League One play-off final on Sunday, 24 May.

The Championship final between Southampton and Hull City is due to be staged 24 hours earlier but there could now be a delay with the EFL announcing an independent hearing into allegations of Saints observing the training sessions of their semi-final opponents, Middlesbrough will be heard on or before Tuesday, 19 May.

Should the match need to be rescheduled due to the outcome of the hearing and any subsequent appeal process, the EFL says it has a "number of contingency plans" available.

The Championship fixture is the first of three play-off finals held across three days at Wembley, with the League One and Two versions due to be held on the Sunday and Monday, respectively.

The stadium is booked out the following weekend, when the Rugby League Challenge Cup final will be played on 30 May and the Women's FA Cup final on 31 May.

A major music event takes place at the stadium on the following weekend on Saturday, 6 June.

Image source, Opta

Bradford City have received a major boost with the return of 10-goal Bobby Pointon with George Lapslie dropping to the bench.

Pointon has not featured since injuring an ankle in a 1-0 home defeat by Stevenage in early April.

Bolton have named the same starting Xl which started Saturday evening's first leg.

Image source, Opta

Image source, Shutterstock

So... we know the identities of the teams who will face-off in the Championship play-off final (kind of!) and tonight the line-up for the League One climax will be completed.

Stockport are standing by to see if it will be Bradford City or Bolton who they meet at Wembley a week on Sunday.

This one is finely balanced so let's crack on...