Huddersfield Town promoted to the Premier League
Huddersfield Town promoted to the Premier League
Huddersfield Town won the play-offs after beating Reading 4-3 on penalties to take them to the Premier League next season.
45-year-old Huddersfield Town manager David Wagner has managed to clinch promotion for the West Yorkshire club just over a year-and-a-half into his reign at the club.
Huddersfield, who also beat Sheffield Wednesday in the semi-finals in a shoot-out, needed penalties again to see off Reading after the match ended 0-0 after extra time.
The match itself was fast-paced and the ball was moved around the pitch well by both teams. However, the lack of a final ball and poor finishing in the final third meant that both goalkeepers were hardly worked throughout the match. There were only 3 shots on target the entire match, two for Huddersfield and one for Reading.
The best chances in the match came within the first ten minutes of the game. The first chance fell to Huddersfield just after four minutes when Aaron Mooy's free kick found defender Michael Hefele, but the German headed wide from just six yards out.
On the ten minute mark, Reading's Izzy Brown missed a sitter after Elias Kachunga crossed in for him from the right but Brown shot wide from three yards out.
The rest of the game featured very little chances and decisive play in the final third and the teams needed a penalty shoot-out to determine a winner.
Reading was in pole position to win after goalkeeper Ali Al-Habsi saved from Huddersfield's Michael Hefele. However, Huddersfield was given a lifeline after Reading defender Liam Moore blazed his penalty over the bar.
Huddersfield goalkeeper Danny Ward then denied Jordan Obita before club-record signing Christopher Schindler stepped up to convert the final and decisive spot kick to send the West Yorkshire club into the Premier League for the first time in 45 years.
Wagner heaped praises on his team after the match. Speaking to BBC, he said: "The players have gone from heroes to legends during these play-offs."
"I'm so happy we've proven this is possible and we've brought this fairytale to a happy ending."