Exclusive: David Prutton predicts winner of Sheffield United v Sunderland play-off final | OneFootball

David Prutton has given his verdict on whether Sheffield United or Sunderland will win the Championship play-off final.

Pundit David Prutton believes Sheffield United will beat Sunderland in the Championship play-off final at Wembley on Saturday and secure promotion to the Premier League.

Sheffield United looked to be in pole position to achieve automatic promotion in early April, but a late-season decline in form saw them finish in third place, while Sunderland spent the vast majority of the campaign sitting fourth, and there was a 14-point gap between the two teams in the final table, which would have been even greater had the Blades not received a two-point deduction.

United were handed a huge boost in their play-off semi-final first leg at Bristol City when Rob Dickie was controversially sent off just before half-time, and Chris Wilder's men certainly exploited their numerical advantage, with Harrison Burrows' penalty and strikes from Andre Brooks and Callum O'Hare sealing an emphatic victory.

That gave the Robins a mountain to climb ahead of the second leg at Bramall Lane on Monday night, and while the visitors did make a bright start to the game, the Blades soon took full control of proceedings, with goals from Kieffer Moore, Gustavo Hamer and O'Hare booking their place at Wembley.

After a 2-1 win at the CBS Arena in the first leg, Sunderland set out to protect their lead against Coventry City in the return fixture at the Stadium of Light on Tuesday night, but after a dominant performance, the Sky Blues deservedly went ahead through Ephron Mason-Clark in the 76th minute to level the scores on aggregate.

However, the Black Cats got a foothold back in the game in extra time, and with penalties looming, Dan Ballard headed home Enzo Le Fee's corner in the 122nd minute to send the Wearside outfit to the final, sparking jubilant scenes of celebration among the sold-out home crowd.

David Prutton issues bold Sheffield United prediction ahead of play-off final

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, Prutton praised Sheffield United and Sunderland for their impressive seasons in the Championship, but while he believes a tight final could be in store, he predicted the Blades may just have too much for the Black Cats.

"I think it will be a close affair," Prutton said.

"The two teams won their semi-finals in slightly different fashion, Sheffield United were obviously emphatic, while Sunderland were defensively resolute and had a fairytale finish right at the death, which was one of the most astonishing games of football I've ever been at, the atmosphere was incredible.

"I think it will be very, very close affair, with Sheffield United just edging out Sunderland.

"It has been a great season for Chris Wilder and a fantastic season for Regis Le Bris in his first one in English football.

Sheffield United will need to overcome dismal play-off history against Sunderland

Given the quality and experience in the Sheffield United squad and the large points gap between the two teams during the regular season, Wilder's men will likely go into the play-off final against Sunderland as favourites.

However, the Blades have failed to win any of their previous eight play-off campaigns, and they have not won at Wembley for over 100 years, so history is not on their side as they look to secure an immediate return to the Premier League.

United did not handle the pressure of the run-in well as they missed out on automatic promotion, winning just two of their final seven league games, but their record-breaking play-off semi-final victory against Bristol City suggests they are now back on track, and they may just have the edge over Sunderland.