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After close to fifty league matches, it all boils down to this. It is a fixture that can either safeguard a team's future for ages to follow, or dislodge it with the possibility of no return.
Such is the relevance, importance and prestige of the Championship play-off final between Brentford and Fulham, in which there will be everything to play for, on August 4.
Brentford have overseen a remarkable turnaround of form since the turn of the year, as eight wins in a row during the business end of the season fired them to the top spots alongside the likes of West Brom and Leeds United.
Two demoralising defeats that showed glimpses of the pressure sustained by a team that hasn't been amongst the teams at the pinnacle. They fell to a 1-0 defeat in the first-leg against Swansea, but a dramatic turnaround at Griffin Park gave the Bees a hope of starting life at a new home in the Premier League.
As for Fulham, a well-earned win over Cardiff City sealed their place at Wembley. The Cottagers would complete a stunning comeback to the top-flight if they win this at the first time of asking, but this season's record against Brentford demonstrates just how difficult it'll be against Thomas Frank’s side.
On that note, we bring all you need to know ahead of the Championship play-off final between Brentford and Fulham.
Brentford v Fulham: Head-to-head
Brentford wins: 22
Fulham wins: 21
Draws: 17
Brentford v Fulham: Form Guide
Last five matches (Championship)
Brentford: W-L-L-L-W
Fulham: L-W-D-W-D
Brentford v Fulham: Team News
Brentford
Nikolaos Karelis remains the only absentee for Brentford, while there are no suspensions for Frank to worry about either.
This only implies that the Brentford boss is most likely to stick with the same XI that dispatched the Swans 3-1 at Griffin Park. Tinkering the winning combination for the all-important final would not be a smart move unless necessary.
Injuries: Nikolaos Karelis
Doubtful: None
Suspensions: None
Fulham
Fulham are visibly the more worried team as far as injuries are concerned.
The biggest concern for them is Neeskens Kebano, who was withdrawn at half-time last time out against Cardiff. The talismanic Aleksandar Mitrovic missed both legs against the same opposition, and is therefore a doubt for this game.
Should he be deemed fit, the Serbian is expected to start on the bench.
Injuries: Neeskens Kebano
Doubtful: Aleksandar Mitrovic
Suspensions: None
Brentford v Fulham: Probable XI
Brentford predicted XI (4-3-3): David Raya; Henrik Dalsgaard, Rico Henry, Pontus Jansson, Ethan Pinnock; Christian Norgaard, Mathias Jensen, Emiliano Marcondes; Ollie Watkins, Bryan Mbeumo, Said Benrahma
Fulham predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Marek Rodak; Cyrus Christie, Michael Hector, Tim Ream, Joe Bryan; Bobby Reed, Thomas Cairney; Anthony Knockaert, Joshua Onomah, Ivan Cavaleiro; Harrison Reid
Brentford v Fulham: Match Prediction
The Bees have lost just one of their last 10 West London derbies against Fulham. They clearly hold the upper hand on this game, but Fulham's experience in similar big matches could prove decisive. Another crucial talking point is the probably absence of both Mitrovic and Kebano.
Expect Brentford to push the opposition, find the back of the net early on and keep their lead intact until the final whistle to secure a dream promotion to the Premier League.
Predicted score: Brentford 1-0 Fulham
