Nigel Reo-Coker reveals why he thinks Hull City will beat Southampton in Championship play-off final | OneFootball

Hull City are set to face Southampton in the Championship play-off final on Saturday, 23 May

Hull City have been backed to defeat Southampton in the Championship play-off final at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, 23 May.

The Tigers got the better of Millwall at The Den on Monday, winning 2-0, whereas the Saints beat Middlesbrough 2-1 at St Mary's Stadium on Tuesday.

Tonda Eckert's side beat Boro amid the backdrop of being charged by the EFL for spying on a training session ahead of the first leg of their play-off semi-final.

As per The Times, Southampton could still be kicked out of the play-offs as a punishment for spying, with the Disciplinary Commission pushing to reach a conclusion before the final.

For now, though, Hull are set to face the Saints at Wembley for a place in next season's Premier League alongside Coventry City and Ipswich Town, who won automatic promotion.

Hull City told they can 'weather the storm' ahead of Championship play-off final clash with Southampton

Hull could only hold Millwall to a 0-0 draw in the first leg of their Championship play-off semi-final, but showed more attacking prowess in Monday's second leg triumph.

Winger Mohamed Belloumi was electric and scored an impressive opening goal, while fellow substitute Joe Gelhardt also got himself on the scoresheet to ensure that the Tigers would be going to Wembley.

Meanwhile, fellow play-off finalists Southampton haven't been beaten in the Championship since losing 2-1 to the Tigers on 17 January.

Discussing who will win the play-off final live on CBS on Tuesday, former West Ham United, Aston Villa, and Bolton Wanderers midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker said: "I see a very confident Hull that will probably feel that they can get the job done.

"I favour Hull. I think Southampton are a good team. Player for player, you’d probably say that Southampton have the better players. But this is a play-off final now.

"The pitch is a lot bigger, and Hull have shown us they can be very organised at the back if they need to be and play counterattacking football, they can weather the storm."

As Reo-Coker alluded to, the Tigers defended exceptionally well against Millwall, with Charlie Hughes, Semi Ajayi, and John Egan all impressing.

Furthermore, the Lions controlled possession, leaving Sergej Jakirovic's side reliant on the counterattacking qualities of players such as Belloumi, Gelhardt, and Liam Millar.

Hull City may hold key psychological advantage over Southampton

Southampton have now gone 21 Championship fixtures unbeaten, including their play-off semi-final clashes with Middlesbrough.

That makes them appear to be a daunting opponent in the play-off final, while they also knocked Premier League outfits Arsenal and Fulham out of the FA Cup.

However, Hull have already defied expectations by beating a Millwall outfit who finished three places and 10 points above them in the Championship table.

That should give them the confidence they need to believe that they can overcome Southampton to book their place in next season's Premier League.

However, the last team to beat Eckert's side in the Championship were Hull, which could play on the Saints' minds ahead of their vital Wembley meeting.

The Tigers have done the double over Southampton in the second tier this season, enjoying victories in both September and January, but a Wembley win would be the most meaningful.