Championship Play-Off Final: Nottingham Forest To Face Huddersfield In Soccer's Richest Game

Nottingham Forest will play Huddersfield in the richest game in soccer after Brice Samba's penalty heroics sent his side to the Championship play-off final.

Goalkeeper Brice Samba saved three penalties in a shootout to send Nottingham Forest to Wembley for the first time since 1992.

Samba was in inspired form as Forest got the better of Sheffield United in the semi-finals of the EFL Championship play-offs in dramatic fashion.

Forest went into Tuesday's second leg at home with a 2-1 advantage from the reverse fixture.

Brennan Johnson added to that advantage to give Forest a 3-1 aggregate lead 19 minutes into the second leg.

But Morgan Gibbs-White and John Fleck hit back for the Blades to force extra time and then spot-kicks.

Penalty shootouts provide keepers with an opportunity to make themselves a hero. Samba took that opportunity with both hands as he pulled off saves to deny Oliver Norwood, Conor Hourihane and Gibbs-White from 12 yards.

🗣 "Oh yeah definitely, I enjoyed it." 😅

Nottingham Forest goalkeeper Brice Samba says he enjoyed the penalty shootout where he made three saves pic.twitter.com/qNVHiqDZMg

— Football Daily (@footballdaily) May 17, 2022

Forest will now play Huddersfield Town on May 29 for a place in the Premier League.

The play-off final is widely considered to be the richest game in soccer, based on the value of the prize for the winning team.

In 2020, Deloitte claimed that the difference between winning and losing in the Championship play-offs was worth at least $167m, possibly rising to $328m should the team that goes up then avoid relegation in their first EPL season.

That mega hike in revenue is largely down to the vast sums Premier League clubs receive for television rights as well as prize money.

A close-up view of the EFL Championship play-off trophy :: IMAGO/PA Images/Tim Goode

Huddersfield booked their place at Wembley on Monday by beating Luton Town 1-0 to complete a 2-1 aggregate victory.

The Yorkshire outfit finished third in the Championship regular season, two points ahead of Forest.

Huddersfield and Forest have already played each other three times this season, having been drawn together in the FA Cup.

Forest won two of those games and lost one.

Huddersfield were last in the Premier League in the 2018/19 season.

Forest were founder members in 1992 but have not played in the EPL since being relegated in 1999.