Southampton’s 3-1 win over Preston North End saw them rise above Middlesbrough in the Championship table on the final day of the season, with the Boro only taking one point from their game with Wrexham.
It means the Saints play Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium on Saturday, May 9, before the second leg at St Mary’s falls just three days later on Tuesday, 12 May.
It’s a tough fixture for Southampton - but one they are more than capable of handling.
The playoff semi-finals
Southampton’s dates for the playoff semi-finals have been confirmed. A win on aggregate will see them head to Wembley for the second time this season.
1st leg: Riverside Stadium, 12:30pm, Saturday 9 May
2nd leg: St Mary's Stadium, 8pm, Tuesday 12 May
Kim Hellberg took over Middlesbrough at a similar time to when Tonda Eckert did at Southampton, but his side has plummeted from second place in the league to fifth.
On the other hand, the Saints have taken a remarkable 68 points from 33 league games under Eckert - a turnaround that sees them head into the playoffs as favourites amongst most football fans.
An atmosphere to recreate
Upon joining Southampton in August 2025, former West Bromwich Albion winger Tom Fellows said, "I remember playing in the play-offs and the stadium [St Mary's] was rocking, it delayed the arrival of our coach. It was a really good atmosphere."
It’s a night synonymous with Southampton fans, as one of the best that the stadium has seen.
The supporters now have something to match, an atmosphere that was special all night long, which started hours before kick-off, when Saints fans gathered at the Ted Bates statue to welcome the team.
Saints boss Tonda Eckert was asked about his side making it a home second leg in the play-offs, but told BBC Sport, "For me it doesn't make a big difference. Obviously, there might be a small advantage, but it doesn't matter. For us, it was just important to win today and go to the play-offs with that feeling of winning."
Eckert’s side is the form team amongst the playoff candidates, but none of that will matter if they don’t get it spot on against the astute tactician that Middlesbrough head coach Kim Hellberg is.
The play-offs are no mean feat, and Southampton now know their position - they are a minimum of 270 minutes in keeping up their unbeaten streak from the Premier League once again.
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