Bristol City

Image source, Rex Features

Bristol City forward Yu Hirakawa has been called into Japan's senior squad for the first time.

The 24-year-old is part of the squad for World Cup qualifiers against Australia and Indonesia next month.

Hirakawa joined Bristol City on loan from J-League club Machida Zelvia in July before making the move permanent in February.

He scored two goals in 19 Championship appearances for the Robins this season and has previously featured for Japan's under-22 and under-23 sides.

Japan became the first nation to qualify for the 2026 World Cup in March and the games against Australia and Indonesia are their final matches of the qualification stage.

We asked for your views on Sheffield United's play-off semi-final victory over Bristol City, which sets up a Wembley final against either Sunderland or Coventry.

Here is a selection of views from Sheffield United supporters...

Clive: With the momentum from those last two games I feel we are going to Wembley full of confidence, and having beaten both teams this season I have no worries!

Mark: After nine previous failures in my lifetime, I sadly see Wembley as a chore and duty. But if we actually do it this time and win there for the first time in 100 years and then I didn't go I would never forgive myself. Being a Blade is never easy.

Jonathan Really pleased with the Blades performance and our quality shone through in the end. I don't fancy Wembley as we have a terrible history there. Is this our time? If we do win promotion our US owners will need to dig deep if we are to stay up this time.

Aswad: Feeling very confident in terms of our squad, mentality and form. However, it's a one-off game and anything can happen. Based on past play-off final performances, I just want us to show up and perform like we know we can.

Jimmy: It's the first time in my lifetime we're heading into a play-off final with a squad intact (as it stands, touch wood), so to overcome our reputation and history, it's our best opportunity yet. Hard to feel confident as a Blade, and there's still the horrible feeling of what comes next year if we do win one game, but as they say, win lose or draw, we'll still come back for more.

Neill: Incredible, some of the season's best performances just when we needed it. Looks like Sunderland in the final, I just hope whichever red and white stripes goes up doesn't do the same as the one coming down.

Bristol City fans have also been having their say...

Matt: Overall, I think City were just outdone by a better team. The red card in the first leg extinguished all hope and certainly turned the tide against us. With the injuries to some of our key players, we didn't have that last push to undo a talented team. It's been a great year and a bright future ahead for the City. Good luck to Sheffield United in the final.

Pete: It didn't go wrong, we played above what we were expected to play and all the plaudits to the team for doing so well. With an increased investment in the team we could have got into the Premier League. However, I don't blame Steve Lansdown for not pouring his money down the drain. To get to the final would have been fantastic.

Matty: Instead of focusing on the defeat let's just look at the season on a whole as a success. Definitely punching above our weight with one of the smallest budgets in the league. Hopefully the squad won't get torn apart and we can build on this and the experience can make Manning's men contenders next season.

Ian: Big gulf in class between a Premier League-ready side and a top 10 side that overachieved. But we're a club on the up and given the right additions over the summer we'll be back. I'd rather have what happened than to have our season end in February with another mid-table finish.

Jason: We just don't have the firepower. The 20-point gap between us and the top four teams who have been in the Premier League was on show for all to see.

Chris: As a BCFC fan I am extremely proud of the team, they've had a great season. I think we're heading in the right direction with Manning in charge and maybe if they give him a decent budget in the summer we could be challenging those top spots.

Image source, Rex Features

Bristol City were "naive" and "not at it" during their Championship play-off exit to Sheffield United, admitted captain Jason Knight.

The Robins were beaten 3-0 at Bramall Lane in Monday's second leg to lose the tie 6-0 on aggregate.

"It's not the way we wanted to go out and I think there was a bit of naivety across the two legs," the midfielder told BBC Radio Bristol.

"When we look back at the goals, it's probably more us giving them the opportunities than them making them."

Bristol City drew 2-2 with Preston on the final day of the Championship season to secure their first play-off appearance since 2008 and Knight believes that was an achievement in itself.

"Overall it's been a really positive season for us - getting to the play-offs wasn't easy so we don't want to get too down about it," he said.

"But we want to raise the standard constantly and we know over the two legs we certainly weren't at it really."

Now the dust has settled, how are you feeling as Sheffield United or Bristol City supporters after the Blades made it through to the Championship play-off final?

Sheffield United supporters can you go all the way and return to the Premier League?

Bristol City fans where did it go wrong?

Come back to this page later on Tuesday to find out what some of you had to say.

Image source, Rex Features

Bristol City head coach Liam Manning was unable to confirm whether striker Nahki Wells had played his final game for the club as they exited the Championship play-offs.

Wells, 34, is out of contract this summer but has led the Robins' forward line this season, scoring 10 goals.

Manning said in March he wanted the Bermuda striker to extend his stay with the club and that he was "hugely instrumental" within the playing group.

However, when asked following the 6-0 aggregate loss to Sheffield United whether Wells would be at the club in 2025-26, he said there was nothing he could say on the matter.

"I think I've made my point quite clear in what I think of Nahki and what I do with Nahki," Manning told BBC Radio Bristol.

"They're the bits now that the discussions have to happen."

Gary Owers
Former Bristol City player and BBC Radio Bristol summariser

Image source, Rex Features

A bright start [and for] the first 30 minutes, Bristol City held their own. Scott Twine had a couple of opportunities but you always thought that it would be a struggle defending set plays and that's how it turned out really.

The first goal and the second goal came directly from corners and they just lacked that physicality throughout. That's one thing they might have to look at next season, how they defend set plays.

I think they got worked out late in the season - really weak defending at the far post because they defend the near post in numbers, but teams just bypass that.

You always felt there was an outside chance, [but] that City had to score the first goal and they didn't. Three goals, the game was probably won at Ashton Gate.

That was the end of the fairytale.

It's an achievement getting to the play-offs, but it's a massive gap to bridge.

They've got to be aiming for the top six again, they've got to get their recruitment spot on.

It's back to the start line isn't it? Everyone will go away, reflect on the season they've had, start the rebuilding process, competition to sign the same players, who's going to invest heavily?

It shows that we have been good enough to finish sixth.

There might be some reflection that if only we'd beaten Preston North End on the last day of the season and ended up playing one of the other teams it might have been different outcome, but it wasn't and we've taken a heavy beating in the semi-finals.

Image source, Rex Features

Bristol City will be without midfielder Joe Williams and suspended centre-back Rob Dickie for Monday's play-off semi-final second leg against Sheffield United.

Williams hobbled off after 40 minutes of Thursday's 3-0 defeat at Ashton Gate in the first leg.

"Joe [is a] bad one, snapped a couple of ankle ligaments. It's incredible the fact that he tried to play on for a few more minutes and did a 40-yard sprint before coming off," boss Liam Manning told BBC Radio Bristol.

Dickie was shown a straight red card in added time at the end of the first half for a challenge on Blades forward Kieffer Moore and the Robins' appeal against his sending off has been unsuccessful meaning he is unavailable.

Manning said there was a possibility Cameron Pring and Harry Cornick "could get minutes" after being unused substitutes on Thursday night.

Cornick has appeared in only three games this season due to injury, while Pring has been out with a hamstring injury.

"Pringy and Corns had an extra few days and are in a better spot than what they were for the home game," Manning said.

Sheffield United will aim to confirm their place in the Championship play-off final on Monday (KO 20:00 BST) as they carry a 3-0 lead into the second leg of their tie with Bristol City.

The Robins will need to record the second-best comeback in EFL play-off history if they are to overturn the deficit.

The biggest comeback was in League One in 2023 when Sheffield Wednesday came from 4-0 down to beat Peterborough.

• After winning the first leg of this play-off tie 3-0 at Ashton Gate, Sheffield United are now unbeaten across their past eight games across all competitions against Bristol City (W6 D2). In that time, the Blades have kept five clean sheets in total.

• Bristol City have failed to win any of their past four away games across all competitions against Sheffield United, though three of their past four victories overall against the Blades have come at Bramall Lane.

• Sheffield United have lost each of their past two home EFL play-off fixtures (2-1 vs Nottingham Forest in 2022 & 2-1 vs Swindon Town in 2015), after going unbeaten across their first seven matches at Bramall Lane beforehand (W5 D2).

• In the history of the EFL play-offs, just 10 of 60 teams have progressed from the semi-final stage after losing their first leg on home soil, though no side has ever come back from a three-goal margin of defeat at home in the first leg to reach the final.

• Throughout the regular season in the Championship, Sheffield United kept 12 clean sheets across their 23 home league games, with only the top two sides Leeds (14) and Burnley (15) managing more.

• During the regular season, Bristol City won just four of their 23 away Championship games, with only five sides in the division managing fewer.

David Pottier, fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

City's 3-0 home defeat in the play-off semi-final first leg has given them a Herculean task at Bramall Lane on Monday night if they are to progress to the final at Wembley on 24 May.

It got me thinking about when, if ever, City have recovered such a deficit or, for that matter, surrendered one of similar magnitude.

To give City fans some hope, you need to go back to November 2002 and a League One game at Field Mill against Mansfield.

With only three minutes left to play, City found themselves trailing 4-2 and that was after they had taken a 2-1 lead after 50 minutes through a Christian Roberts goal.

Home goalkeeper Kevin Pilkington conceded a penalty, which was converted by Brian Tinnion to make it 4-3, then Leroy Lita struck to make it 4-4.

City didn't shut up shop and went looking for a winner, which came from another Roberts strike to make it 5-4 and send the travelling supporters into raptures.

I did not attend that game as I was at Villa Park watching the home team demolish West Ham 4-1. I knew City were trailing as I had a friend at the game texting me score updates.

I left Villa Park shortly before the final whistle and felt the phone in my back pocket vibrate three times. I didn't check what the commotion was until I got back to the car when I then read City had achieved the impossible!

The other side of the coin is more recent and took place in February 2018. City were trying to maintain their promotion push built on an impressive first half of the season but which had faltered in the early stages of the new year.

Sunderland were involved in a relegation struggle. A much-needed win looked a certainty as City raced to a three-goal lead inside 40 minutes with an opener from Aden Flint then a couple from Famara Diedhiou.

It all went terribly wrong from the 70th minute when Josh Brownhill started the comeback putting through his own net. Ten minutes later, Aidan McGeady made it 3-2 before a second own goal, this time from Marlon Pack, in the 92nd-minute gave Sunderland a point as the game finished 3-3.

Sadly, I feel City will commence their 11th successive season in the Championship come early August.

You can hear more from David Pottier on the fans' podcast Forever Bristol City, external.

We asked you for your reaction to Sheffield United's 3-0 win against 10-man Bristol City in the first leg of the Championship play-off semi-final at Ashton Gate.

Here are a selection of views from Bristol City fans...

Ian: The biggest football event in Bristol for 17 years, Ashton Gate rocking, two mins til half-time, penalty and a red card - City punished twice for a questionable penalty. Game over. 46 games all comes down to an over zealous referee! The decision decided the game! We will return stronger!

Matty: Red card and the injury to Williams changed the game. Once Sheff Utd went 1-0 up it was damage limitation. Can't have any complaints about the result. Proud of what Manning & co have achieved this season.

Jen: What ever happened to the double jeopardy rule? When the ref makes such a blatant error that potentially costs a club millions of pounds a post-match apology isn't really enough. What more can the FA do?

Paul: Really good and competitive game up to the penalty/sending off. I'm old school and it looked like a red to me but Dickie does get the ball and I understand in the rules that exist now that should have been a yellow. It's done in my opinion. Do City have 11 fit players for Monday?

Tim: Sending off and penalty changed the game but if it had been other way round we would have been fuming. After that it was going to be tough. Not sure subbing Nakhi was a great decision. Fair play to Blades they took advantage. We have overachieved this season. Board need to show real ambition now.

Cameron: Never a red. Possibly a pen but Rob Dickie played the ball as well so for me and many others it's not a red. It's in the laws of the game. I think personally that cost us the game. It's best to just to go all out in the away leg on Monday now.

Richard: The game was very open to begin with, the penalty and sending off killed this. It was disappointing as a Bristol City fan and it really spoiled the game and took away all the fun. I think, in that moment, Dickie could have and perhaps at this level, should have done better, given the guy was in on goal, better to let him go than risk the red and penalty.

Tom: Everyone is saying how we were well beaten by the better team, but until the red card it was a close game - a classic Championship game that felt like it could go either way. Unfortunately, the sending off changed that completely, and regardless of whether it was right or wrong, it was silly to give the referee the decision to make in such a crucial game. I genuinely believe that at 1-0 down with 11 v 11 we make a real go of it in the second half and potentially get something from the game. Such a shame, but pressure is off, stranger things have happened in football, so bring on Bramall Lane and something miraculous!

Blades fans also weighed-in...

Lola: Brilliant professional performance from the boys with subs making an impact when coming on. Got nothing to complain about. First foot in the final!

Rob: Brilliant performance. Moore caused them all sorts of problems. Even before the red card we had had the better chances. Has the playoff curse been lifted?

Thomas: That second-half performance is how we should've been playing all season. If we played like that when we lost against Millwall, Oxford or Plymouth we probably had a chance for promotion whether it was automatic or as champions.

Joe: Regardless of getting to the ball or not with his foot, the defender clearly had two arms pulling down the back of a striker that's one on one on goal 10 yards out. Even the most biased opinions can surely see this is a red card whether the Bristol City manager or fan base want it to be or not. Poor decision from the defender to get himself in that position knowing the costs of pulling down the attacker that would likely be at least a penalty.

Steve: Good, solid performance. Chris Wilder got his tactics right, especially when he took the team off early at the end to manage expectations. This is not over until the final whistle on May 24!

Alfie: I thought after the penalty and red card we showed how much we wanted to win and how much we wanted to end this play-off drought. If Wilder does do it it'll be his biggest achievement for us yet. I also think Andre and O'Hare were very big game changers for us when they got subbed on.

Ryan: I thought the Blades performance was professional, especially in the second half when Bristol City sat back. The red card ruined it as a contest but the decision was correct in my opinion. Not getting carried away as there is still a job to do on Monday.