Fine margins likely to decide which of Brentford or…

Fine margins likely to decide which of Brentford or Swansea City come out on top in play-off final

Brentford and Swansea City meet at Wembley on Saturday in the Championship play-off final.

It's regularly dubbed the 'richest game in football' and aside from the financial gains, it offers the chance for a club to ply their trade among the big names in the game.

For Swansea, victory would represent a return to the Premier League after a three-season absence. As for the Bees, promotion would mean they contest a season in the top tier for the first time since the late 1940s.

With plenty on the line and the added bonus of around 12,000 fans being present to watch it, it promises to be a fascinating, high-stakes encounter.

But when it comes to selecting a winner, it couldn't be harder to call.

First of all, recent history between these two shows there is little to split them. Their two regular league meetings earlier this season finished all-square, with 1-1 draws the outcome in both fixtures.

The entire history between the two clubs is also pretty tight, with Swansea coming out on top 34 times as opposed to Brentford's 31.

And then there is the matter of how nervy and close play-off finals have been in recent history.

Only one of the last nine finals has seen a side win by more than a one-goal margin. Last year Brentford were beaten finalists, losing 2-1 to Fulham.

Seven of the last nine finals have been won by single goal margins, with the only draw seeing Huddersfield beat Reading on penalties after a goalless 120 minutes.

Norwich City's 2-0 win over Middlesbrough in 2015 has been very much the exception to the norm over the last decade.

Indeed, for the last real one-sided final you have to go way back to 2006 when Watford saw off Leeds United 3-0.

With so much at stake, it promises to be a fascinating encounter.