The visitors West Brom get the game under way. Both teams are in their traditional kits.

Both teams are potentially 270 minutes away from a Premier League return.

The players are out at Villa Park, which is packed, as you'd expect.

It's noisy. It's expectant.

It's almost time for kick-off.

Garry Thompson
Ex-Aston Villa & West Brom striker on BBC WM 95.6

Image source, BBC Sport

The home fans will expect Villa to have a go early on. Albion are notoriously slow starters and they've got to keep it tight. There's attacking quality on both sides.

Tony Brown
Former West Brom striker on BBC WM 95.6

I think Albion will keep it tight initially, try to frustrate Villa and not give the crowd any encouragement early on.

If they went a goal down early, I'd be very worried because the atmosphere will be rocking. Hopefully that won't happen.

Albion have got two 20-goal strikers up front and they're always likely to grab a goal.

Ged Scott
BBC Sport at Villa Park

Image source, BBC Sport

BBC WM have Garry Thompson and Albion legend Tony 'Bomber' Brown working for them as summarisers today.

"Thommo" played for both clubs and the boyhood Villa fan has been a regular WM summariser alongside Villa commentator Mark Regan for two or three seasons now.

But, after all he achieved in his career, he has had no prouder moment than arriving at the ground today to discover that his name is being used as part of the wifi password in the Villa press box.

A Villa insider says his face, when told, was a picture.

Nick Bruzon: Love the play-offs. That juxtaposition between total stress for fans of teams involved and total excitement for the rest of us is about as unique as they come. Fancy Villa to go all the way.

FinleyAsh: As a Brentford fan I’m backing Villa to go up, I love Dean Smith and want to see him successful, what a great manager he is.

West Brom have had the edge in matches against Aston Villa so far this season, drawing 2-2 at The Hawthorns and then winning 2-0 at Villa Park.

Midfielder Chris Brunt said: "It proves we know we can get results against them.

"They’ve been on a great run and are playing well and confidence is high, but we know we’ve got enough to get through. It’s just a case of going out there and getting the job done.

"The play-offs are such a lottery - you never know where you stand until you’re actually in the game. There are so many things that can go your way or could go against you. You’ve just got to play the game as you see it on the day."

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Rex Features

These are the games when big players are needed to step up. Who can be a hero this afternoon?

More from Villa full-back Neil Taylor, who was asked if things were coming together at the right time for the club to be promoted...

"It’s easy to say when you win 10 in a row," said the Wales international.

"The team was doing really well and the most impressive thing was that anybody who had to step into the team over that period was also doing really well.

"We’ve shown in that block of games that it’s the squad that will carry you through to the end, which any team that gets out of the Championship needs."

Ged Scott
BBC Sport at Villa Park

It's 31 years since Villa last won promotion to the top flight, but still the team that did it under Graham Taylor in 1987-88 are immortalised in song.

As I walked past the Witton Arms on the way to Villa Park, the doors were shut but, from inside, you could hear the strains of "Spinky and Birchy, Alan Mc-I-Nally" soaring out.

They were also doing that "Allez, Allez, Allez" number they've robbed off the Liverpool fans. And, if a pub full can make that sort of noise, the 42,000 inside Villa Park should be rather vibrant.

Image source, Rex Features

Chris Brunt has seen most things during his 12 seasons with West Bromwich Albion, including automatic promotion from the Championship in 2008 and 2010, but going up via the play-offs with the Baggies would be a new experience for the veteran midfielder.

"It’d probably be the highlight of my career," he told BBC WM 95.6. "I’m not getting any younger and to achieve promotion again would be brilliant.

"I’ve spent most of my career playing for West Brom as a Premier League player and I’d love to finish my career at West Brom as a Premier League player."

BBC WM Sport

You can follow every kick of the EFL play-offs on BBC local radio.

BBC WM has live commentary of both legs of this Championship semi-final - unfortunately a rights issue prevents us from streaming EFL commentary on our website.

Image source, Rex Features

Aston Villa fell at the final hurdle of last season's Championship play-offs, losing 1-0 to Fulham in the final at Wembley.

Full-back Neil Taylor told BBC WM: "It’s added motivation but lots of lads here have got experiences of highs and lows in football. We know what to expect and nothing’s a given.

"With the squad we’ve got, we feel very confident. We’ve got to let last year slide almost and take the experiences from it.

"If you’re going to try to achieve anything, there will be bumps along the way. We were unfortunate last year and this year we’re looking to go one better."

If you want to have your say on any of today's play-off games, you can get in touch using #bbcefl on Twitter.

Who are you backing to get to Wembley, and why?

And where are you following the drama from?

The Baggies are without Wales forward Hal Robson-Kanu because of suspension, after he was shown a straight red card at Derby last Sunday.

Jake Livermore (foot) also misses out, but Chris Brunt and Matt Phillips come back in to the starting side.

WBA XI: Johnstone, Holgate, Dawson, Hegazi, Bartley, Gibbs, Johansen, Brunt, Phillips, Gayle, Rodriguez.

Subs: Bond, Mears, Townsend, Morrison, Field, Murphy, Montero.

Villa make six changes as they return to a more recognisable XI, and the big news is that on-loan Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham has been passed fit to start.

The hosts' top scorer missed their past three games with a shoulder injury.

Villa XI: Steer, Elmohamady, Tuanzebe, Mings, Taylor, Whelan, McGinn, Grealish, Adomah, El Ghazi, Abraham.

Subs: Kalinic, Hause, Jedinak, Hourihane, Green, Kodjia, Davis.

Image source, Rex Features

First up, local rivals Aston Villa and West Brom will go head-to-head in their first leg at Villa Park.

Four points separated fifth-placed Villa from the fourth-placed Baggies in the table at the end of the regular season.

Less than four miles separates them geographically.

Now they are both just 180 minutes away from Wembley and the play-off final.

Image source, Getty images and Reuters

First, a West Midlands derby.

Then, a historic rivalry surfaces yet again.

Then there's a third-tier play-off semi-final between two sides who attracted 85,000 to Wembley in March.

Prepare yourself for one of the biggest days the EFL play-offs have ever seen.