CHARLTON Athletic and Leyton Orient meet in the League One play-off final, but who will conquer Wembley and secure Championship football next season?
Separated by just seven and a half miles and the River Thames, the League One play-off final is a battle of South East vs East London, as Charlton Athletic take on Leyton Orient under the Wembley arch.
Although it’s only a short distance to travel for both sets of fans, the final result will go a very long way for one of them, with a spot in the second tier of English football awaiting the winners.
The 2024/25 #SkyBetLeagueOne Play-Off Final@CAFCofficial 🆚 @leytonorientfc
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🗓️ Sunday 25 May 2025
⌚️ Kick-Off: 13:00#EFLPlayOffs | #StepUp pic.twitter.com/y8HdFFxgwz
Charlton have been absent from the Championship for five seasons, while the O’s have endured 43 years away from the second tier of English football and were in the National League as recently as 2019.
Managed by former Southampton boss Nathan Jones, the Addicks edged past Wycombe Wanderers in the semi-finals, beating them 1-0 across two legs.
As for Richie Wellens’ Orient side, they took third-placed Stockport County all the way to penalties, beating them 4-1 as Tottenham Hotspur loanee Josh Keeley became a hero between the sticks in the shootout.
How have Charlton and Leyton Orient performed this season?
The two sides have met three times over the course of the campaign, with Charlton doing the double over the O’s in the league either side of Orient knocking them out of the EFL Trophy.
After finishing 16th last year, the Addicks have enjoyed quite a turnaround in Jones’ first full season at the club, finishing with 32 more points as they ended up fourth.
Their home form helped propel them up the table as they lost just twice all season at The Valley, last tasting defeat on home soil in the mid-December which interestingly came against their play-off final opponents.
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However, away from home is where they have been less productive, particulary towards the end of the season. Their last two on the road have ended without a win, something they will need to improve on if they are to avoid League One football again next season.
As for Leyton Orient, they hit form at the perfect time, ending the season with six successive wins as they snatched the last available play-off place away from Reading.
The O’s red-hot form stretches even further, as they are unbeaten in their last nine league matches and have not lost since 1st April – a good omen heading into their biggest game for quite some time.
One damning statistic that does not bode well for them, however, is that they have lost their last three play-off finals, a record made worse by the fact that Charlton have won their previous three.
Matty Godden vs Charlie Kelman: The Tale of Two Strikers
Having a lethal striker can be the difference between winning and losing – and both sides have a marksman who could just send them to the Championship, although both players are at very different stages of their careers.
Charlton’s Matty Godden is an experienced forward at 33 and is one of the best strikers in the division, although he was pipped to the Golden Boot by Orient’s Charlie Kelman, who won the award after netting 23 goals this season.
| League One and Play-Offs This Season | Matty Godden | Charlie Kelman |
| Appearances | 43 | 48 |
| Goals | 19 | 23 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 16.2 | 20.3 |
| Shot on target | 39 | 55 |
| Shot conversion | 23.5% | 19.7% |
The Queen’s Park Rangers loanee beat the likes of ÂŁ20m man Jay Stansfield, the most expensive signing in League One history, and Wycombe’s Richard Kone to claim the top scorer award and will be eager to get another one in what will likely be his last game for the club.
As for Godden, he still has another year on his contract, although he may also be making his final contribution to his side if the Addicks fail to win on Sunday as there is a strong chance a Championship club look to snap up an experienced striker for a cut price.
