FC Southampton can continue to dream of a return to the Premier League. On Tuesday, the Saints secured their ticket to Wembley. Coach Tonda Eckert almost came to blows during the match.
With Coventry City and Ipswich Town, two Premier League promoted teams have already been confirmed. Traditionally, however, the Championship uses the playoffs to determine a third team that will compete in the world’s wealthiest league during the 2026/27 season.
Hull City had secured the first spot in the final on Monday evening with a 2-0 win at Millwall FC. Twenty-four hours later, Middlesbrough FC also aimed to pull off an upset on the road. They had to take on Southampton FC at St. Mary’s Stadium. And in the fifth minute, the visitors’ plan paid off immediately: Brittain was given far too much space on the right, and McGree calmly slotted the resulting cross into the far corner from a central position.
Eckert and Hellberg clash
The “German” club in the Championship needed some time to recover from the shock. But Tonda Eckert’s team fought their way passionately back into the game. And the German coach showed no less passion.
After a yellow card for Ayling following a foul on Scienza, however, emotions ran a bit too high: When referee Andrew Madley called the two coaches over for a talk, Eckert nearly came to blows with Middlesbrough coach Kim Hellberg after a verbal exchange. The fourth official, whom Eckert grabbed by the arm, prevented a physical altercation.
The scene was a reflection of just how much pressure was building at St. Mary’s. In the first minute of stoppage time, it all came to a head as Southampton capitalized on a surge to score a well-deserved equalizer: After a free kick, Manning was initially denied by goalkeeper Brynn, but striker Stewart rose high into the air and coolly headed the ball home from close range (45+1).
Edozie fails to score—but then comes Charles
The second 45 minutes were no less entertaining. Referee Madley had his hands full—and had to assess some tricky situations. The Saints, for example, got a bit of a break when Matsuki handled the ball in the penalty area; at the other end, Ayling’s shove on Scienza in the box sparked a storm of protest.
In the closing stages, the match was electric—and would indeed go into extra time: In extra time, the fresher Southampton came close to sealing the win, but substitute Edozie couldn’t get past Brynn (100th minute).
Middlesbrough looked completely knocked out and could no longer counter the Saints’ attacks. Just as the match was heading toward a penalty shootout, Southampton’s deserved winning goal finally came: A cross from Charles went further and further—and found the left corner.
Hull City now awaits in the final on May 23, for which Southampton has enough time to recover. Will Eckert be there then? In England, there was already speculation at halftime about a possible special report from the referee regarding the incident in the first half.