Notts County v Salford City prediction, line-ups & tips: League Two play-off final
The world's oldest professional football club meet the Class of 92's great project at Wembley on Bank Holiday Monday. One will reach League One, the other stays put.
Eleven years is a long time to wait. Notts County, the world's oldest professional football club, travel to Wembley on Monday afternoon with a chance to return to the third tier for the first time since 2015, and manager Martin Paterson knows exactly what is riding on the afternoon. "The players, the supporters, the football club, nobody needs to be told the importance of the game," he said at his pre-match press conference. Standing in their way are Salford City, a club who have been chasing League One since the Class of 92 takeover in 2014, and who go into this final having broken every single record in their short EFL history. Karl Robinson, the Ammies' head coach, called this "the biggest occasion in the club's history" after a dramatic extra-time win over Grimsby secured their place at Wembley.
Notts County
3–0
Full time
Salford City
Mon 25 May, 15:00•Wembley Stadium
Salford finished fourth in League Two, one point and one place above Notts County, but both sides could have rendered this final irrelevant. They each dropped points on the final day of the regular season, Notts drawing with Bristol Rovers, Salford held at Crawley, and so here they are, settling it the hard way. The Magpies ground out their semi-final in characteristically tight fashion, with Jayden Luker's first-leg winner enough to see off Chesterfield 1-0 on aggregate. Paterson was particularly pleased with the defensive discipline: "Two clean sheets in those two ties has me delighted with my defensive line." Salford's route was rather more turbulent. They led Grimsby 3-1 on aggregate going into the final stages of the second leg before conceding twice, only for Kallum Cesay to score at the death in the 117th minute and send Robinson's side through 4-3 on aggregate. Robinson called it "the Salford way."
The two sides have met six times in all competitions, and the head-to-head record sits heavily in Salford's favour, five wins to Notts County's one, with no draws. This season's league encounters went the same way: Salford won 2-1 at Meadow Lane on the opening day in August 2025, and repeated the scoreline at the Peninsula Stadium in April. Notts will need to find a way to break a pattern that has been remarkably consistent since the two sides first crossed paths in the EFL. Goalkeeper James Belshaw, a lifelong Notts fan who joined from Harrogate Town in January, is relaxed about the narrative. "I don't think it's going to be a game of stories," he said. "Whoever manages the day the best will win."
Last 6 · most recent left
Notts County
DWDWLW2 D2 L1
Salford City
DWDWWW3 D2 L0
Predicted line-ups for Notts County v Salford City
Notts County have used a 3-4-2-1 shape in 16 of their 22 league and play-off games under Paterson this season and are unlikely to deviate for the final. Salford have deployed 3-1-4-2 most regularly under Robinson, lining up in that system for 22 of their 47 fixtures.
Where to watch Notts County v Salford City: TV and online streams
The League Two play-off final kicks off at 15:00 BST on Monday, 25 May 2026 at Wembley Stadium. The match is broadcast live in the UK on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football, with coverage beginning at 14:00 BST. Sky customers can also stream via the Sky Go app. Viewers without a Sky subscription can access the match through a NOW Sports Day or Month membership.
Stats for Notts County v Salford City
Salford City have won five of the six competitive meetings between these sides, both league meetings this season ended 2-1 to Salford.
Notts County averaged just 1.0 goal per game across their last 10 fixtures, keeping four clean sheets but also failing to score three times.
Salford conceded just 0.7 goals per game in their last 10 outings (7 goals against in 10 games), with four clean sheets of their own.
Both sides have scored in only four of their respective last 10 games, low-scoring football has defined both clubs' recent form heading into Wembley.
Headline prediction · our pick
✓ HitConfidence · medium
match result: notts county to win
Salford's head-to-head dominance and marginally superior recent form (5 wins, 3 draws, 2 losses in their last 10 versus Notts' 4 wins, 2 draws, 4 losses) make them the logical pick, but Wembley play-off finals rarely follow logic. Notts County's defensive record is the best argument in their favour: 14 clean sheets in the league season, two more in the semi-final, and an average of just 1.1 goals conceded per game. With both sides averaging under 1.1 goals against in recent weeks and neither comfortable in front of goal, this final is likely to be decided by a single moment. Notts have the greater occasion driving them and a goalkeeper in Belshaw who has already proved his nerve in this play-off campaign. Narrow Notts win, potentially after extra time. Prediction: Notts County 1-0 Salford City
Best Price5/4bet365 · score 1-0
✓ Prediction landed
TIP 01✗ Miss
Correct Score: 1-0
Both sides have been remarkably stingy defensively in recent weeks. Notts County kept four clean sheets in their last 10 games and two more across the play-off semi-final; Salford conceded only seven goals in their last 10 outings, averaging 0.7 per game. In a Wembley final with promotion on the line, a single goal may well settle it. A 1-0 to Notts County reflects both the likely low-scoring nature of the game and our match result call, it is the most probable winning margin if Notts hold firm as they did against Chesterfield.
TIP 02✗ Miss
Over 2.5 Goals: Under
Notts County's season-long goals-against average of 1.1 per game is backed up by their playoff semi-final, in which they conceded nothing across 180 minutes. Salford averaged just 1.3 goals scored per game across the full season and scored in only six of their last 10 matches. In their two meetings this term both ended 2-1, but the tactical tightening that comes with a Wembley final, where neither side will want to be the first to open up, points firmly towards under 2.5. Under 2.5 goals landed in 39 of Notts County's 47 league games and 41 of Salford's 47.
TIP 03✓ Hit
Both Teams to Score: No
BTTS landed in just four of Notts County's last 10 games and four of Salford's last 10, a striking alignment. Notts kept clean sheets in the semi-final and failed to score just three times in their last 10, but Salford failed to score four times in the same period and have struggled for goals when away from the Peninsula Stadium, averaging 1.2 goals per away game across the season. Against a Notts defence that has looked almost impossible to break down in this play-off campaign, Salford scoring at Wembley is far from guaranteed.
TIP 04
Anytime Goalscorer: Daniel Udoh
Daniel Udoh scored nine league goals for Salford this season and added one in the play-offs, including a volley in the second leg against Grimsby. He leads Salford's attacking line alongside Cesay and has shown a knack for decisive moments under pressure. At 3.5, he represents fair value as the most experienced goalscorer in this Salford attack, and if Salford do find a way through Notts County's backline, Udoh is the likeliest source of the goal.
TIP 05✓ Hit
Double Chance: Home or Draw
Notts County are marginal favourites and the defensive evidence supports them going deep into this game without conceding. A draw after 90 minutes leading to extra time is a realistic outcome given the tight nature of both semi-finals. Backing Notts or Draw via Double Chance covers the most probable range of outcomes and reflects the conservative, structured way Paterson's side have approached every big game in this campaign. If the game does go to extra time, Belshaw's experience and Notts' fitness levels become a further edge.
Build the Notts County v Salford City bet
BetFootball Builder · 3 LegsCombined Price Below
Home Win
✓ Hit
Match Result
5/4
The anchor of the builder. Notts County's defensive record in the play-offs, two clean sheets, one goal conceded in ten play-off semi-final appearances across two seasons, makes them the right side to back in a tense, low-scoring final. This leg only pays if Notts win in 90 minutes or extra time, so it needs the other two legs to be independent of Salford scoring to avoid correlation issues.
Under
✗ Miss
Over 2.5 Goals
7/10
Complements the Home Win leg by targeting the likely character of the game rather than the result. Under 2.5 goals landed in 39 of Notts County's 47 league games and 41 of Salford's 47, this is not a combination that produces open football, especially at Wembley where caution tends to rule for the first hour. A 1-0 or 1-1 scoreline would satisfy both this leg and the match result call.
Daniel Udoh
Anytime Goalscorer
5/2
Adds goalscorer value without directly correlating to the Home Win leg, Udoh can score and Notts can still win. He led Salford's scoring in the play-offs with a goal in the semi-final and has the experience to deliver in big moments. Combining a moderate-odds scorer leg with a home win and under 2.5 builds a three-leg ticket with a sensible combined price while keeping each leg logically independent.
Combined Price
223/18
Stake£10.00
Returns£133.88
Profit+£123.88
League Two · season 2025 · League TwoLive snapshot
Notts County
Salford City
