Charlton Athletic v Wycombe Wanderers
Thursday 15 May 2025 | Kick-Off: 20:00
Referee: Dean Whitestone - previously officiated a Charlton match at home to Portsmouth way back in October 2022 where we won 3-0Introduction
Games come with different pressures, some hold different magnitudes that simply cannot be replicated, but few come bigger in club football than what awaits at The Valley on Thursday evening.
A draw at Adams Park on Sunday means we just need to win a game at home to get to the final. Sounds simple, and in many ways it is. Our home form this season has been excellent; especially since the turn of the year, but the play-offs are different and what we all know by now is drama is guaranteed. Nerves too.
With the home ends sold out, The Valley will be rocking. Let's hope that by 10pm, the dream of another trip to Wembley at the end of May becomes a reality.
Opposition
Manager: Mike Dodds
Stadium: Adams Park
Nickname(s): The Chairboys
Fun fact: The nickname of the Chairboys stems from High Wycombe's historical association with the furniture-making industry. The club was founded in 1887 by a group of young furniture trade workers.Wycombe lined up in the first leg differently to how they did against us in that 4-0 win on Easter Monday. Their team on Sunday evening was:
Norris
Grimmer - Bradley - Taylor - Reach - Leahy
Simons - Humphreys
Onyedinma - Kone - Udoh
The game at Adams Park was the least kind to the eye across all 6 opening play-off games. Over 100 aerial duals, constant fouls, some unsporting behaviour, and a whole lot of aggression. It wasn't until the introduction of Small and Anderson that we started to look capable of taking a lead back to The Valley, and we so nearly did. Near-post-Norris pulled off a couple of vital stops to deny Godden and then Docherty from scoring. With a few more minutes, we might have grabbed a winner.
Kone, who won both League One player and young player of the season, continued his goal drought and nearly saw red in the process. Nathan Jones has remained calm throughout, showing his leadership to the group as we look to navigate our way back to the second tier. He refused to be drawn into discussions around the controversial challenge on Ramsay in the first half, but it was clear to most that he was lucky to escape further punishment.
Wycombe are a big, physical side and did well to disrupt our rhythm. Credit to both teams where the game could be described as a tactical arm-wrestle who cancelled each other out that earned both a clean sheet. A player not mentioned by many apart from some Chairboys supporters is Xavier Simons. Highly rated, the midfielder on-loan from Hull City improved in the second half thanks to a tactical switch at half-time from Dodds to bring him higher up the pitch. Additionally, we know we need to continue to keep Kone quiet and Edwards seemed to do a good job with Onyedinma too.
What I found interesting is that the longer the game wore on, the bigger the gap in fitness it seemed between the two sides. I just don't envision Wycombe being able to maintain that level of physicality and aggression throughout the game on Thursday.
Charlton Team News
Jones, Berry and Small returned to the squad on Sunday with the former two starting, getting much closer to our strongest team. It would be fair to assume that with the second leg at home, we will see Small return to the starting XI with Watson dropping to the bench. Small brings a completely different dynamic to the side, and this not only helps our attacking threats, but creates balance, space for others, and his pace and power is a real asset for this level. It's no surprise to me that when Small starts and plays at least 60 minutes, his own personal PPG is the highest amongst the whole squad. A line up with Small on the right, Berry as a 10, and TC floating between the wide position and a second striker means we invariably win most of our games.
Also returning is Chuks Aneke, whose physical presence was missed in the first leg. The striker was wrongfully dismissed on Easter Monday but he has now served his ban and will come back into the squad on Thursday. If Wycombe adopt a similar combative approach, he may be just what we need.
I don't expect many changes at all, but I do expect Nathan Jones to name what is (in my opinion at least) our best starting XI.
Hylton is likely to be on the bench instead of Mbick due to the magnitude of the game and his experience could be vital in the closing stages. It's things like this why he was brought into the club.
Subs: Maynard-Brewer, Mitchell, Watson, Anderson, Gilbert, Aneke, Hylton
Prediction
A fiery encounter at The Valley, but one where the team in red come out on top. If we take the lead, the roof will come off and the vulnerabilities we saw of Wycombe in recent weeks will flood back in. I expect TC to have more space and enjoy himself, and this could be key in our quest for securing that place in the final on Sunday 25th. Personally, I can't wait and I hope we all play our part in making The Valley as loud and fierce as it's ever been.
Charlton Athletic 2-0 Wycombe Wanderers
Godden
Campbell
Comments
- Charlton Athletic have lost only one of their last seven games against Wycombe Wanderers in all competitions (W3 D3), and none of their three previous meetings this season (W2 D1).
- Wycombe Wanderers have won on only one of their last seven visits to Charlton Athletic in all competitions (D1 L5), a 1-0 victory on New Year's Day in 2021-22.
- Charlton ended the League One regular season on a 15-game unbeaten streak at the Valley (W12 D3), while overall, only Birmingham City (11) and Wrexham (15) conceded fewer home goals in League One than the Addicks (16).
- Wycombe lost more away games in the League One regular season in their final seven games (3) than their first 16 games of 2024-25 (2), though the Chairboys did collect the second-most points on the road in the division in 2024-25 (42), behind only Birmingham (50).
- Wycombe are winless in their last nine games in all competitions in London (D3 L6), losing on all three occasions in 2024-25.
- In League One during the regular season, Charlton’s Matt Godden scored more goals on home soil than any other player (12). Among all players in the division to net more than five goals across their home league matches, only two players had a better shot conversion rate than the Addicks forwards (29.3%).
- No side scored more headed goals in League One this season than Wycombe (16, level with Wrexham), whilst overall, only Lincoln City (34) netted more set-piece goals (inc. penalties) in 2024-25 than the Chairboys (26).
https://www.efl.com/news/2025/may/12/sky-bet-league-one-play-offs--pre-match-stat-pack/The side that finished fifth in League One during the regular season have reached the play-off final in five of the last eight seasons, with Scunthorpe United in 2017-18, Portsmouth in 2019-20 and Bolton Wanderers in 2022-23 failing to do so in that time.
I first started upon our return to the Championship with our home game against Nottingham Forest in August 2019, and I shall finish with our last home game before we return once more to the second tier in May 2025.
Let's not talk about my contributions to the midweek previews, please let's focus on the game, enjoy every moment, be loud, and show the watching world on Thursday that The Valley is the special place that we know it is.
Hopefully one more to go.
Head says we win
Heart says we win.
Hopefully an early goal or 2 to settle the nerves not just of the players but the fans as well.
An early goal is always a good thing but tomorrow night in front of a packed Valley I believe it could be decisive.
Wycombe will buckle under the pressure of the occasion and the noise from the stands.
Hopefully Wembley awaits.
Thanks for your excellent previews Sage
Feel we are going to win this. Wycombe will fly out the traps first 10 I reckon and if we soak that up and nick an early goal, they will deflate.
Charlton 3-0 ( Godden x 2 and Aneke)
Thanks Sage, always fully appreciated your insightful match previews.
Sorry to read this could be your last one.
I can't wait for this. The excitement is genuinely indescribable, and tells me that football is and always will be more than just a game.
Every stat and bit of data you can find points towards us qualifying for the final, and I'm gonna say the same.
I think if we get a goal early, there will be no coming back for Wycombe, I just don't believe they have the character or skill that Doncaster had when we last played a play-off semi at the Valley. I can see them falling apart.
I'm gonna say 3-1 Charlton. Godden, Small and Docherty for ours. Udoh for theirs.
90 minutes to make this season worthwhile, come on Charlton.
COYR
2-0 Charlton: Godden and Ramsey to kill them off.
That being said, I would rather play Stockport than Orient at Wembley as I believe Stockport would struggle on a bigger pitch! I think Orient would be more dangerous in a one off final!
I don't think I'm as confident as others, I think Wycombe will look to kill the game as they did on Sunday and they have the physicality to do that.
To an extent I think they're right in saying that the pressure is on us as no one seems to be expecting anything from them. Could get a bit nervy if it stays at 0-0 for a while.