Bolton finished the League One season in fifth place
Stockport last played in the second tier during the 2001/02 season
Recommended bet: Stockport to win @ 6/4
Bolton will be looking to end their seven-year exile from the Championship when they face Stockport at Wembley on Sunday in the League One play-off final.
The Trotters, former Premier League stalwarts, even spent a solitary season in the fourth tier.
Standing in their way are the Hatters, who are eyeing up a return to the second tier after a 24-year absence.
Only four years ago, Stockport were playing in the National League. What a triumph it would be if they manage to reach the Championship.
The latest Bolton vs Stockport odds are available on LiveScore Bet
Team news
Striker Johnny Kenny won’t be available at Wembley due to an injury which has ended his campaign. He will return to parent club Celtic after scoring six goals for the Wanderers.
Sam Dalby and Amario Cozier-Duberry will lead the line for Bolton at the national stadium as manager Steven Schumacher eyes a place in the Championship.
Stockport's Arttu Hoskonen, who joined the club last summer, won't be in action until next season at least after suffering a groin injury plus various other issues.
The stats
Bolton and Stockport have met on seven occasions since the start of the 2021/22 season. In that period, Stockport have won three games, while Bolton have claimed victory once.
Most recently the clubs played out an entertaining 2-2 draw at the Toughsheet Community Stadium in April.
The Hatters finished third in the League One table, trailing runners-up Cardiff by 14 points.
Meanwhile, Bolton just snuck into the play-offs, finishing fifth, but only one point ahead of Luton in seventh place.
Both teams have scored in one of the previous five matches between the sides. A total of 12 goals were scored across those fixtures.
Stockport scored more goals than Bolton (71 vs 70) in League One, but it was Schumacher’s side who conceded fewer times (52 vs 58) across the entire campaign.
The latest Bolton vs Stockport odds are available on LiveScore Bet
Prediction
It is difficult to pick a winner from this League One play-off final, especially as only two points separated the teams throughout the regular season.
Stockport’s greater head-to-head record in recent years, however, could well give the Hatters an advantage at Wembley on Sunday afternoon.
Challinor's side have won three of the last four league meetings, drawing the other, with an aggregate scoreline of 10-2 in their favour during that sequence.
It could be tight and nervy, but with the chance to reach the second tier for the first time in nearly a quarter of a century, expect Stockport to come out on top in London.
Score prediction: Bolton 1 – 2 Stockport
