The 2020 EFL Trophy Final (known for sponsorship reasons as the 2020 Papa John's Trophy Final) was a football match played at Wembley Stadium on 13 March 2021. It decided the winners of the 2019–20 EFL Trophy, the 36th edition of the competition, a knock-out tournament for the 48 teams in League One and League Two and 16 category one academy sides.

2020 EFL Trophy Final
Event2019–20 EFL Trophy
After extra time
Salford City won 4–2 on penalties
Date13 March 2021
VenueWembley Stadium, London
Man of the MatchVáclav Hladký
RefereeCarl Boyeson
Attendance0
2019
2021

The final was contested by Portsmouth from League One, the defending champions and thus making their second successive final appearance, and Salford City from League Two, who made their finals debut.[1][2]

Portsmouth and Salford City had never played against each other before this EFL Trophy Final meeting.[3]

The final, which was originally scheduled for 5 April 2020, was postponed because of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom[4] and eventually rescheduled for 13 March 2021.[5] The delay meant that Salford held the trophy only until the following day, when the 2021 final took place.

Route to the final

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Portsmouth

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Pos Div Team Pld W PW PL L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 L1 Portsmouth 3 2 1 0 0 6 3 +3 8 Advance to Round 2
2 L1 Oxford United 3 2 0 1 0 8 4 +4 7
3 ACA Norwich City U21 3 1 0 0 2 4 6 −2 3
4 L2 Crawley Town 3 0 0 0 3 2 7 −5 0
Source: EFL.com
3 September 2019 (2019-09-03) Group stage Portsmouth 1–0 Crawley Town Portsmouth
19:45 BST Pitman   70' Report Stadium: Fratton Park
14 September 2019 (2019-09-14) Group stage Portsmouth 3–1 Norwich City U21 Portsmouth
12:30 BST Harrison   10', 60'
Flint   44'
Report Scully   67' Stadium: Fratton Park
8 October 2019 (2019-10-08) Group stage Oxford United 2–2
(4–5 p)
Portsmouth Oxford
19:30 BST Taylor   21'
Dickie   90+1'
Lethbridge   33'
Walkes   85'
Stadium: Kassam Stadium
Attendance: 1548
Penalties
Sole  
Brannagan  
Hall  
Sykes  
Ruffels  
Agyei  
Long  
Evans  
Harrison  
Close  
Williams  
Downing  
Walkes  
Haunstrup  
3 December 2019 (2019-12-03) Round 2 Portsmouth 2–1 Northampton Town Portsmouth
19:45 GMT Maloney   39'
Harness   62'
Harriman   12' Stadium: Fratton Park
7 January 2020 (2020-01-07) Round 3 Walsall 1–2 Portsmouth Walsall
19:45 GMT Lavery   86' (pen.) Report Marquis   23'
Harrison   82'
Stadium: Bescot Stadium
Attendance: 1,082
21 January 2020 (2020-01-21) Quarter-Final Portsmouth 2–1 Scunthorpe United Portsmouth
19:45 GMT Marquis   13'
McGeehan   66'
Report Eisa   62' Stadium: Fratton Park
Attendance: 5,832
18 February 2020 Semi-Final Portsmouth 3–2 Exeter City Portsmouth
19:45 GMT Harness   86'
McGeehan   90+1'
Marquis   90+6'
Report Taylor   79'
Burgess   89' (o.g.)
Stadium: Fratton Park
Attendance: 14,735
Referee: Craig Hicks

Salford City

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Pos Div Team Pld W PW PL L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 L2 Salford City 2 2 0 0 0 4 0 +4 6 Advance to Round 2
2 L1 Tranmere Rovers 2 1 0 0 1 2 3 −1 3
3 ACA Aston Villa U21 2 0 0 0 2 1 4 −3 0
4 Bury[a] 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Automatically eliminated from competition
Source: EFL.com
Notes:
  1. ^ This group originally included the expelled Bury.
3 September 2019 (2019-09-03) Group stage Salford City 2–0 Aston Villa U21 Salford
19:45 BST Lloyd   80' (pen.)
Rooney   82'
Report Stadium: Moor Lane
Attendance: 916
12 November 2019 (2019-11-12) Group stage Tranmere Rovers 0–2 Salford City Birkenhead
19:45 GMT Report Threlkeld   2'
Hogan   56'
Stadium: Prenton Park
Attendance: 1,196
Referee: James Adcock
3 December 2019 (2019-12-03) Round 2 Salford City 3–0 Wolverhampton Wanderers U21 Salford
19:45 GMT Armstrong   43', 47'
Towell   87'
Report Stadium: Moor Lane
Attendance: 505
7 January 2020 (2020-01-07) Round 3 Salford City 3–0 Port Vale Salford
19:45 GMT Burgess   35'
Armstrong   79'
Jervis   84'
Report Stadium: Moor Lane
Attendance: 630
21 January 2020 (2020-01-21) Quarter-Final Salford City 2–1 Accrington Stanley Salford
19:45 GMT Burgess   45+3'
Elliott   49'
Report Finley   11' Stadium: Moor Lane
Attendance: 1,401
19 February 2020 Semi-Final Newport County 0–0
(5–6 p)
Salford City Newport
19:45 GMT Report Stadium: Rodney Parade
Attendance: 4,070
Referee: Anthony Backhouse
Penalties
Demetriou  
Sheehan  
Abrahams  
Labadie  
Dolan  
Matt  
Inniss  
Rooney  
Touray  
Jervis  
Conway  
Thomas-Asante  
Gibson  
Wilson  

Match

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Portsmouth0–0 (a.e.t.)Salford City
Report
Penalties
2–4
Attendance: 0
Referee: Carl Boyeson
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Portsmouth
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Salford City
GK 1   Craig MacGillivray
RB 13   James Bolton   73'
CB 6   Jack Whatmough
CB 20   Sean Raggett
LB 21   Charlie Daniels   45'
RM 7   Ryan Williams
CM 4   Tom Naylor   95'
CM 16   George Byers   73'
LM 23   Harvey White   45'
CF 26   Jordy Hiwula-Mayifuila   45'
CF 9   John Marquis   105'
Substitutes:
GK 22   Lewis Ward
DF 8   Ben Close   73'
DF 15   Rasmus Nicolaisen
DF 3   Lee Brown   114'   45'
MF 11   Ronan Curtis   45'
MF 19   Marcus Harness   45'
MF 24   Michael Jacobs   105'
Manager:
  Kenny Jackett
GK 1   Václav Hladký
RB 6   Tom Clarke   115'
CB 5   Ashley Eastham
CB 16   Jordan Turnbull
LB 3   Ibou Touray   119'
DM 4   Jason Lowe   90+1'
DM 18   Oscar Threlkeld
RM 17   Richie Towell   14'   99'
LM 10   Ashley Hunter   74'
MF 37   Brandon Thomas-Asante
CF 19   James Wilson   87'
Substitutes:
GK 31   William Hayden Evans
DF 35   Sam Fielding
MF 15   Luke Burgess   87'
MF 33   Liam Loughlan   115'
MF 36   Dan Hawkins
FW 20   Emmanuel Dieseruvwe   99'
FW 35   Bruno Andrade   74'
Manager:
  Richie Wellens

References

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  1. ^ "Leasing.com Trophy semi-final: Portsmouth 3-2 Exeter City after dramatic finish". BBC Sport. 18 February 2020.
  2. ^ "Newport County 0-0 Salford City (5-6 on pens)". BBC Sport. 19 February 2020.
  3. ^ "#Pompey's first ever meeting with @SalfordCityFC will take place at @wembleystadium in the @LeasingcomTrphy final on Sunday, April 5". Portsmouth FC. 19 February 2020.
  4. ^ "EFL statement: Leasing.com Trophy Final". www.efl.com.
  5. ^ Allen, Neil (16 September 2020). "Pompey's EFL Trophy Wembley final against Salford City put back to 2021". The News. Retrieved 5 August 2021.