Huddersfield Town host Luton Town in the second leg of the semi-final of the EFL Championship promotion playoffs on the 16th of May 2022. The first leg at Kenilworth Road ended in a 1-1 draw, with Sonny Bradley and Danel Sinani scoring for Luton and Huddersfield, respectively. The winner of this match will head to Wembley and face off against either Nottingham Forest or Sheffield United.
Having drawn the first leg away at Kenilworth Road, Huddersfield are the favourites to win this game and proceed to Wembley as they are the hosts and have a higher league finish than Luton. Danel Sinani gave the Terriers the lead in the 12th minute of the first leg before Sonny Bradley equalized for the Hatters. During the course of the regular season, Huddersfield were the team with the lowest passes per defensive action (PPDA) in the division, with 13.247. This is a metric that measures the pressing intensity of the team.
Sorba Thomas is Huddersfield Town’s most successful threat creator in this EFL Championship season. Hence, it is no surprise that he is the team’s leader in providing assists, with 11 to his name. But most of the threat he creates comes from set-pieces, particularly his corners. From open play, it is Levi Colwill, who produces the majority of the threat.
Seen in the above visual is the shot map of Huddersfield Town in this season’s EFL Championship, excluding the penalties. The Terriers have missed some big chances from within 10 yards to the goal. Danny Ward is the team’s top goalscorer, with 14 goals to his name. Huddersfield have taken 509 shots and scored 61 goals, giving them a shot conversion rate of 8.3 shots per goal scored.
Luton Town drew the first leg of the semi-final 1-1 at home against Huddersfield Town. The Hatters will need every bit of luck to move past the Terriers in the second leg away from home. In the regular season, it was Huddersfield that won the same fixture 2-0, back in April 2022. Luton Town are the team with the second-fewest counterattacks in the division this season, with 59 to their name, averaging 1.15 counterattacks per 90 (only Swansea have fewer).
Given above are the attacking performances of Luton Town in this campaign. The Hatters have taken 438 shots, scoring 60 times in the process. This means they have a shot-to-goal ratio of 7.3 shots per goal scored. Luton have the lowest dribble success rate of any team in the division, with 62.1%. The Hatters also have a shot accuracy of 32%.
Luton Town have a chance to make history with a shot at the Premier League for the first time ever. But they face a stronger Huddersfield Town team, who are also eager to return to the top flight after a three-year absence.
