Huddersfield Town, Nottingham Forest, Sheffield United, and Luton Town are all set to compete in the Championship play-offs to join Fulham and Bournemouth in the Premier League.
The Terriers and Hatters were the surprise present among the top six, and they will meet over two legs, beginning with a meeting at Kenilworth Road on Friday.
The other play-off clash is a heavyweight clash between Forest and the Blades, which begins on Saturday at Bramall Lane.
Huddersfield vs. Luton Town — away win
Huddersfield won the Championship play-offs in 2017 and can move closer to a return to Wembley by overcoming Luton in Bedfordshire.
The Terriers finished third, considerably above their pre-season predictions, and they enter the play-offs with confidence after collecting 19 points in their last seven games.
Last summer, boss Carlos Corberan had a small budget to deal with, but he created a team that has grown in size over the course of the campaign.
Danny Ward has led the way with 14 league goals, his most in 13 seasons as a professional, while midfielder Lewis O'Brien has impressed with a string of all-action displays, and wing-back Harry Toffolo has five goals in his last seven games.
But it's been a team effort from a very reliable club that has only lost twice in their last 26 league games.
Luton Town has also thrived despite financial constraints and is fully committed to completing a spectacular eight-year journey from the National League to the Premier League.
Hatters manager Nathan Jones has done an excellent job, but the club's injury list never seems to lessen.
Top scorer Elijah Adebayo, winger Fred Onyedinma, and long-serving midfielders Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu and Luke Berry were all absent for Reading's 1-0 victory last Saturday.
Only Adebayo and Onyedinma have a chance to compete in either leg of the play-off semi-final.
Sheffield United and Nottingham Forest drew two 1-1 draw during the regular Championship season, and after the first leg of their semi-final, there may be little to choose between them.
The most recent meeting between the sides occurred in early March at Bramall Lane, where Ryan Yates' stoppage-time header earned Forest a point.
It was a result and a performance that instilled confidence in Steve Cooper's team, and they went on to win nine of their remaining 12 league games.
Forest went into their last league game at Bournemouth with a possibility of automatic promotion, but they failed to capitalize and were defeated 1-0.
Cooper's players, on the other hand, are likely to have acquired valuable experience from taking part in such a high-pressure contest, and they demonstrated their desire for the greatest events in the FA Cup earlier this season by recording brilliant home triumphs against Arsenal and Leicester.
The Reds will fancy their chances in the second leg at the City Ground on Tuesday, so it will be up to the Blades to take the initiative at home.
The South Yorkshire club concluded the season on a three-game winning streak, ending in a 4-0 home victory against champions Fulham, but there are persistent questions over the fitness of 14-goal striker Billy Sharp, who has only made one substitute appearance in the last seven weeks.
If their talisman is unavailable, the hosts may have to rely on a strong defense, and a more conservative approach may enhance the possibilities of a first-leg stalemate.
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