Good evening! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for the first leg of the Championship semi-final between Wigan Athletic and Queens Park Rangers at the DW Stadium. Both teams are looking for an immediate return to the top flight having been relegated together last season and one of them is now just 180 minutes away from the richest match in football. Let's start with a look at the hosts...

It has been a very eventful year in the history of Wigan Athletic, and another trip to Wembley to secure their place back in the top flight would be a perfect way to end it. This time last year they consigned to relegation from the Premier League and preparing for the FA Cup final which, as we all know, they went on to win at the expense of the mighty Manchester City.

Since they dropped out of the Premier League, the Latics have lost manager Roberto Martinez to Everton and also sacked his replacement Owen Coyle after a poor start to the Championship season. His replacement, Uwe Rosler, has steered Wigan up the table and into the playoffs, as well as masterminding a run to the FA Cup semi-finals - once again beating Manchester City along the way. Their dream of retaining the famous trophy came unstuck via penalties against Arsenal, but even then the Premier League side needed penalties to eliminate the plucky Latics.

They have also competed in Europe for the first time in their history courtesy of their FA Cup success last year, although they failed to make it past the group stages of the Europa League. That has proven to be a blessing in disguise, however, as Wigan's form has dramatically improved since being eliminated from Europe and they would have struggled to juggle further advancement in that competition with league and cup duties.

Even with their relatively early exit from the Europa League, tonight will be Wigan's 60th match of the season - a number that they will be hoping will grow to 62 by the end of the campaign. For a squad that has been ravaged by long-term injuries to key players, that is an awful lot of games to play, which makes their feat of reaching the playoffs all the more impressive.

Much of the credit for their place in the playoffs should go to Uwe Rosler, who took over when the club were 14th in the Championship table. Since arriving in December, he has won 15 and drawn six of Wigan's 28 league games, securing their place in the top six in the penultimate game of the season. Even that was a little later than expected, however, as they were on such good form at one point that they looked capable of challenging for third with an outside chance of competing for an automatic spot.

Their form towards the end of the season took a turn for the worse, however, with four defeats from their final six matches. That run of results includes the final-day loss to Blackburn in a match that saw Gary Bowyer's men edge a seven-goal thriller 4-3. They ended the campaign on 73 points, 20 behind the automatic promotion places and 27 off champions Leicester City.

Their end-of-season form will certainly be a concern for Rosler going into the playoffs, as will their dip in front of their own fans. The Latics lost two of their final three home games of the campaign having only been beaten twice at the DW Stadium all season before that. Those losses came at the hands of struggling Millwall and Blackpool, but perhaps even more worrying for the Latics is the fact that they have not beaten any of the league's top six at home all season, losing two and drawing three. Indeed, in their 10 matches against teams in the top six, they have only managed two victories, both of which came on the road.

That will be good news for Queens Park Rangers, who come into this match in the slightly strange situation of being disappointed to have reached the playoffs. Many teams strive for a spot in the top six, but QPR's pre-season expectations were to gain automatic promotion, and anything less must be considered a disappointing campaign. Of course, if they still reach the top flight via the playoffs then all will be forgotten, but failure to make it back to the Premier League this season could cause major problems for the club.

The biggest reason for such heavy expectations on QPR's shoulders is their huge financial output for a club at this level. Harry Redknapp's side have a larger wage bill than Champions League finalists and La Liga leaders Atletico Madrid, so the fact that they have been unable to go up automatically is certainly cause for concern. It is made even worse by the fact that Burnley have achieved the same goal on a much tighter budget and with a much smaller squad.

For much of the season it looked like QPR would go up automatically as they occupied second place behind Leicester City for large spells. However, they fell away during the second half of the campaign, allowing Burnley to take full advantage and finish a full 13 points ahead of Redknapp's men in the end. Derby also caught the Hoops, ensuring that they ended the campaign down in fourth place.

Despite the contrasting form between QPR and Wigan over the second half of the regular season, tonight's visitors actually come into the match as the form team. They only lost one of their last five games in the Championship, and that defeat was a narrow one away to champions Leicester. Unlike Wigan, they also picked up three points on the final day, albeit with a 3-2 victory against already-relegated Barnsley.

However, a big concern for QPR, particularly over the second half of the campaign, has been their away form. They have only won five of their 19 matches on the road since September and lost three of their last four, with the only exception being that win over Barnsley on the final day. Scoring goals has also been a problem at times this season, and Redknapp's side have failed to register in eight of their last 13 league games on their travels.

While goalscoring has been an issue, QPR have drawn plaudits throughout the season for their solid defence. Indeed, for much of the campaign they boasted the best defensive record in the division, although their slide in form over the latter stages means they ended the season with the third best, behind only the top two. They still conceded on average less than a goal a game, being beaten 44 times in their 46 outings.

Some concerning news for the playoff campaign as a whole - if not tonight - is that QPR have been beaten by every other side in the top eight this season apart from Wigan. Their defensive strength came to the fore in their two meetings with the Latics this season as they drew 0-0 here in October before winning 1-0 at Loftus Road in March. A repeat of those two results over this tie would see them reach Wembley.

TEAM NEWS: Right, the teams are in for both sides, and the biggest news from the Wigan camp is that Manchester United loanee Nick Powell is not included in the squad. The youngster was expected to be fit for tonight having suffered from tonsillitis recently, but that does not appear to be the case. There is also something of a surprise in goal as Scott Carson plays ahead of Ali Al Habsi. QPR, meanwhile, welcome Barton, Dunne and Morrison back into their side, while Charlie Austin starts up front.

WIGAN STARTING XI: Carson; Caldwell, Maloney, Gomez, McManaman, McArthur, Boyce, Beausejour, Perch, Kiernan, Fortune

WIGAN SUBS: Al Habsi, McClean, Espinoza, Barnett, Maynard, Waghorn, Collison

QPR STARTING XI: Green; Simpson, Onuoha, Dunne, Hill; Hoilett, Barton, O'Neil, Traore, Morrison; Austin

QPR SUBS: Murphy, Carroll, Yun, Doyle, Hughes, Henry, Kranjcar

What can we make of those two sides then? Well, the absence of top scorer Nick Powell is a big blow for the hosts, but they still have plenty of firepower in the form of Jordi Gomez, Callum McManaman and Marc Antoine Fortune. The latter is certainly not the most prolific striker around, but he is adept at holding the ball up and bringing his attacking midfielders into play.

One such attacking midfielder will be Jordi Gomez, who has a keen eye for goal and will be looking to add to his tally tonight. They also have trickery on the wings in the shape of McManaman and Shaun Maloney, who has spent most of the season sidelined through injury but has returned just in time for the Latics to help them in the playoffs. James McArthur is another member of the midfield that can have a big impact on matches, so QPR will have to keep an eye on him tonight.

Wigan's defence has plenty of experience throughout, with the likes of Boyce, Caldwell, Beausejour and Perch - who may also slot in midfield - all having played in the top flight before. Caldwell is another who spent much of the season out through injury, but like Maloney he has returned in time for the playoffs and should be back to full fitness by now. He will look to lead by example tonight.

The goalkeeping choice is an interesting one from Rosler as Al Habsi was expected to come back into the starting lineup. Al Habsi has been first choice for the league this season, with Carson filling in for cup competitions, so it could be possible that Rosler is viewing this match more as a cup game than as an extension of the league season.

As for the visitors, they have also been boosted by a timely return to fitness in the shape of Charlie Austin. For a team that struggled for goals at the best of times, his injury earlier in the campaign was seen as a fatal blow to their automatic promotion chances. The team's top scorer will be looking to make up for lost time and he has already been amongst the goals since his return to action.

The midfield of QPR would not look out of place in the Premier League, with plenty of experience and top-flight knowhow included. The likes of Joey Barton and Gary O'Neil provide a solid base for Ravel Morrison to weave his magic, and he has certainly had a big impact since joining on loan from West Ham. Crystal Palace's Wilfried Zaha was instrumental in firing his side to playoff glory last season, and Morrison could well have a siilar role this year.

It is the defence that has been the most impressive part of QPR's side this season, however, and once again there is plenty of experience included in the backline. All four defenders and the goalkeeper have played in the top flight before and will be desperate to do so again next season. One notable absentee from the defence is Benoit Assou-Ekotto, who has returned to parent club Tottenham Hotspur.

PREDICTION: Right, we're 10 minutes from kickoff at the DW Stadium, so it is time for my match prediction! This is quite a tough one to call tonight as Wigan have been shaky at home recently while QPR have also been poor away. Despite the two teams being involved in games that yielded 12 goals on the final day, I would be surprised if this is a high-scoring affair. The main objective for both sides will be to ensure that they still have a good chance of making it to Wembley in the second leg, so they won't need to take too many risks tonight. I'll go for a 1-0 home victory.

Wembley is fast becoming a second home for the Latics, who a bidding to reach the national ground for the fifth time in the space of little more than a year. They were there for the FA Cup semis and final last season before returning for the Community Shield at the start of the current campaign. Then, of course, they made it to the semi-finals of the FA Cup again this year before being knocked out by Arsenal.

Their recent record against QPR is not a great one, however. The Latics have won none of their last five meetings with the R's, included a draw and a defeat this season. They are unbeaten against them in their last five meetings at the DW Stadium, although only one of those games has ended in victory for the home side. That came in 2011 when a Franco Di Santo brace gave Wigan a 2-0 victory in the Premier League.

Both of these teams are bidding for an immediate return to the top flight having been relegated together last season, remember. Wigan have come into the playoffs from the bottom after a good run of form midway through the season while QPR have dropped in from above following their dip in form, making tonight an interesting first leg in an even more intriguing tie.

A quick reminder that the first of the Championship playoff semi-final first-legs took place last night, and it is advantage Derby County in that tie as they beat Brighton & Hove Albion 2-1 at the Amex Stadium. The Seagulls now need a win at the iPro Stadium to stand any chance of making it to the richest match in football.

KICKOFF: Wigan get us underway at the DW Stadium ahead of a huge 90 minutes in the race to the Premier League. Who will gain the advantage going into the second leg at Loftus Road?

It will be interesting to see how both managers approach this game, particularly given their respective experience at this level. In his long and successful managerial career, this is the first time that Harry Redknapp has been involved in the playoffs at any level, while Rosler suffered heartbreak in the final of the League One playoffs with Brentford last season.

Any early Wigan corner results in a half chance for Caldwell, who loses his marker far too easily to find space at the back post. He has time to decide what to do with his header, but in the end cushions it straight into the arms of Green.

QPR are getting plenty of men behind the ball in these early stages and appear to be set up to hit Wigan on the break. With the likes of Hoilett and Morrison in their ranks they certainly have the ability and pace to do that, so Wigan will be wary of committing too many men forward.

The Latics have made a bright start to this match, dominating possession in the early stages and asking all the questions in an attacking sense. However, QPR are well versed in the defensive arts and are holding firm so far.

Kiernan goes down clutching his head in the area, and the replay shows exactly why. Hill came through the back of the young defender and, with the ball beyond them, elbowed him in the back of the head. Had the referee seen that, it would have been a penalty and a red card. Very naughty from Hill.

The Latics have enjoyed 70% of possession in the opening 10 minutes, and QPR are not really making much of an effort to change that right now. They are more intent on hitting the hosts on the break and are happy for Wigan to have the ball.

McManaman, who has a history of rash challenges, goes flying into a tackle on Simpson, who immediately writhes around on the floor in agony. Michael Jones ignores the tackle and allows play to go on, but it was a risky one from McManaman. To be fair to the winger, he did get the ball, but all too often you see tackles like that punished with a card nowadays.

Really good defending from McArthur as QPR threaten for the first time tonight. Austin does really well to chest the ball down in the box and lay it off for O'Neil, whose powerful effort from the edge of the area is stopped by the Wigan midfielder.

Still no clear chances to speak of for either side at the DW Stadium. Caldwell's early header and O'Neil's blocked shot remain the only glimmers of goal we have seen so far, but it is quite delicately poised between two sides that had pre-season expectations of promotion.

I said earlier that it would be interesting to see how Redknapp approached this match, and he is very much prioritising a clean sheet by the looks of things. A draw would favour QPR going into the second leg, but there will be huge pressure on his side to win at Loftus Road if this game ends all square.

Both sides are struggling to string many passes together at the moment, particularly in dangerous areas. QPR have plenty of bodies behind the ball, which is forcing Wigan into a lot of aimless long passes rather than patiently probing for a way through.

Michael Jones has a word with McArthur for a foul on Traore, although to me it looked like a decent tussle that the Wigan man did well to win. The game has got a bit scrappy in the last few minutes, which is disrupting the flow.

YELLOW CARD! The first card of the evening goes to Richard Dunne, and the veteran can have no complaints. McManaman simply beat him for pace on the right wing and, rather than allowing him to race through, Dunne tripped the Wigan winger.

YELLOW CARDS! Two more cards follow in quick succession, with McArthur catching Traore and then McManaman jumping in late on O'Neil as the ref was playing advantage.

This game is bubbling under the surface at the moment, with some tasty tackles coming in from either side in the last five minutes. There is certainly no shortage of hotheads out there tonight, so the ref needs to calm things down sooner rather than later.

Wigan have won a few corners in the opening half an hour, but that is about as much as they have threatened. So far, they can't find a way through the QPR defensive wall and are resorting to far too many long passes.

Well, this hasn't been the best half an hour of football I have ever seen, it must be said. However, it is how we expected, with both sides keen to avoid defeat and QPR intent on taking a clean sheet back to Loftus Road. The match is screaming out for someone to take it by the scruff of the neck.

The Latics have had 65% possession in the opening half an hour, which is no surprise. However, as has been pointed out many times and many different levels this season, possession is meaningless if you don't use it effectively. So far, Wigan haven't been able to do that.

YELLOW CARD! Another card goes the way of Caldwell for an off-the-ball incident that saw the Wigan man block Hoilett's run with a robust challenge. The ref did well to see that, and it's a deserved yellow.

CHANCE! It isn't a sitter by any means, but it's the best chance of the match so far. Hoilett cuts inside before clipping a ball into the box that Traore gets his head to. However, having made a decent run inside his marker, he puts his effort over the top.

We're now seven minutes from the break and still neither goalkeeper has been tested. Caldwell's cushioned header into the arms of Green early on is about as much as either keeper has had to do.

Good defending from Hill as he slides in to turn a good cross from Beausejour behind for a corner. Perch was lurking dangerously at the back post there, so it was an important interception from the QPR defender.

QPR are challenging Wigan to break them down here, and so far the Latics have had no luck. They do have players capable of doing it, however, with Maloney, McManaman and Gomez being game-changers on their day.

SAVE! At last, a good chance! One of Wigan's long diagonal balls finally comes off as Gomez takes it down on his chest inside the area. His touch sees him go beyond Simpson and allows him to strike a powerful shot towards the near post, but the angle favours Green and the keeper makes the save.

Controversial moment at the end of the half as Hoilett is adjudged to have kept the ball in before winning a corner, although replays suggest that it had gone out for what would have been a Wigan throw. Rosler will not be happy if anything comes of this...

Nothing does come of the corner, however, as the initial cross is dealt with before a second delivery into the area catches a QPR man offside.

There will be three minutes of added time at the end of this first half.

Nervy moments at the end of the half for Wigan as Hoilett races to the byline before cutting his cross back into the area. It is eventually played back in towards Austin, who swings at it but can't connect. The Latics eventually hack it clear, surviving their biggest scare of the half so far.

Well, I think it's fair to say that this one is yet to really get going. It remains goalless after the first 45 minutes and, in truth, it hasn't looked like changing yet. Wigan have been unable to break QPR down so far, while the visitors have offered very little in attack themselves. It has not been a classic, that's for sure.

There was only really one notable chance in the first half and it fell to the hosts in the 42nd minute as Jordi Gomez took down a long ball in the box, beating Simpson before firing a powerful effort straight at Green. He did well to control the pass and the angle was against him for the shot, so there wasn't much more he could have done to open the scoring.

Other than that decent sight of goal it really has been slim pickings in terms of goalmouth action. Caldwell found himself in space from a corner in the early stages but could only plant his header straight into the arms of Green, while at the other end Traore nodded a tricky chance over the top. Gary O'Neil was also teed up well on the edge of the box by Austin, but the midfielder's shot was well blocked.

The lack of action in either penalty area is a good thing for the visitors, who have come into this match looking for a clean sheet more than a goal at the other end. If they take a goalless draw back to Loftus Road for the second leg then Harry Redknapp's game plan would have worked, although they could well take more chances in the second half as they look to take a lead back to London.

I do expect things to pick up a bit in the second half as Wigan begin to get more desperate and QPR look to hit them on the break. A 0-0 draw would favour the visitors going into the second leg, but it would by no means put the tie beyond the Latics. The pressure would be on QPR more than Wigan at Loftus Road, so they may not consider a draw too bad a result.

KICKOFF: QPR get us underway for the second half, and hopeful we will have more action in the next 45 minutes than we did in the first! So far 225 minutes of football between these two sides has yielded just one goal this season.

Better already from QPR as Hill breaks forward down the left wing and sends a dangerous cross into the area. Austin is looking very interested in it, but Carson does well to get a commanding punch on the ball.

SAVE! This is much more like it from the visitors. They come forward again as Morrison slides the ball in to Traore before looking for the return pass. Traore doesn't provide it, instead going for goal himself with a snap shot that draws a low save from Carson.

Harry Redknapp appears to have told his side to make a bright start to this half and look to catch Wigan out. They have certainly done the first half of that, and the game is already more open than it was at any point in the first 45 minutes.

McManaman has a chance to race through on goal, knocking the ball past one man before running at Dunne. However, the experienced defender just eases the winger off the ball, allowing Green to collect.

Hill bends a decent cross towards the back post for Austin, who is reaching for it so can't get the power needed to really test Carson. Instead, he looks to guide a header back into a dangerous area, but it is too close to the Wigan keeper, who plucks it out of the air.

Fortune takes a tumble under the challenge of Dunne, who looks disgusted with himself having given away such a cheap free kick. It is just about within shooting range, and Maloney is looking very interested in it.

Maloney's effort goes straight into the wall and bounces down to Gomez, who lifts it into the area. Kiernan climbs well to win his header, but he is too far out to trouble Green, who catches the effort with ease.

Green is called into action again here as he races off his line to claim a deflected clearance in the area. It had been a good move from Wigan, but not for the first time tonight Fortune failed to keep hold of the ball. He hasn't had his best game here, that's for sure.

Wigan come forward again as Maloney slips the ball to Beausejour down the left. The wing-back whips a dangerous cross into the box, but it is just too high for Perch, who had got the wrong side of Hill and would have had a simple finish had it been a few inches lower.

The first 15 minutes of this second half have been immeasurably better than the first half was. The game is much more open now, and suddenly both sides look capable of scoring when that was far from the case before the break.

CHANCE! Huge chance for Wigan to break the deadlock! QPR fail to deal with a corner and after a brief scramble it is hammered across the box by Kiernan. It comes quickly to Fortune, who reacted in time to turn it goalwards but could not keep it down, blazing over what was effectively an open goal. It was not an easy chance given the speed that was on the ball, but it is one the out-of-form striker should have buried.

Fortune really has not had a good game today, and that miss sums it up really. He got a good sight of the ball coming towards him so the only mitigating factor stopping it from being a sitter was the pace on the ball. He has gone 17 matches without a goal and may not get a better chance to end that run this season.

The quicker tempo of this second half has raised the volume level in the DW Stadium and the fans are looking to spur their side on. Wigan are asking most of the questions right now and belief is growing that the deadlock is not far from being broken.

Another decent chance for Fortune as he finds a bit of space inside the box to get on the end of a decent cut-back, but Onuoha does well to get out quickly and block the effort, Good defending there.

Wigan are seeing all of the ball now having resisted QPR's bright start to the half. The Latics are imposing themselves on the game and QPR are back to defending in numbers.

QPR SUB: Interesting change from Harry Redknapp as Kevin Doyle comes on to replace Armand Traore. That is a very attacking swap from the visitors and it comes at a time when Wigan are in the ascendancy.

SHOT! QPR come forward at pace as Bartin slides the ball out to the left for Hoilett, who uses Hill as a decoy runner before cutting inside and firing a low shot a few yards wide of the near post.

QPR are enjoying a good spell of possession now, which is smart play from the visitors. They are looking to take the sting out of the game as a time when Wigan were looking like gaining momentum. It hasn't quite silenced the crowd, but it has certainly stopped Wigan in their tracks for now.

SHOT! Eventually the visitors work it forward and Morrison fakes a shot and slides the ball across to O'Neil. The midfielder has space on the edge of the box for a moment, but by the time he hits it three Wigan players are diving in at his feet and he slices his effort a long way off target.

WIGAN SUBS: Double change for the hosts as Nicky Maynard and Martyn Waghorn replace Fortune and McManaman.

QPR SUB: Ravel Morrison cuts a disconsolate figure as he trudges off the field to be replaced by Niko Kranjcar. The youngster hasn't been involved as he'd like today and a number of teammates and even Harry Redknapp put an arm around him as he walks off.

Wigan have another corner, and once again they opt for the outswinger rather than putting pressure on Green. This time Boyce gets his head to it, but he is stretching back to make contact and consequently can only steer his header well off target.

SHOT! QPR have been limited to mostly long range shots tonight and another comes here from Joey Barton. This time it is from a good 30 yards, but the midfielder blazes his effort high and wide.

As things stand, this result favours QPR as it gives them the home leg at a level pegging. There are no away goals in the playoffs, remember, so Wigan would need a win at Loftus Road to go through in normal time. The Latics have been good away from home this season, though, so they will certainly fancy their chances on Monday night.

Interesting situation as Hill has his back to a Wigan throw-in, looking to prevent Waghorn from getting past him. He trips the Wigan man up before the throw is even taken then goes down clutching his own leg. It is certainly unorthodox defending from the QPR man, but I'm not sure you can award a penalty for it, despite it being obvious trip.

QPR SUB: The final QPR sub of the night sees Yun Suk-Young replace Junior Hoilett in a defensive move for the visitors. They won't want to lose this game now so are unlikely to take any unnecessary risks.

There will be a minimum of three minutes added time at the end of this match. Will we see any late drama?

QPR are very much happy to settle for what they've got here. They have slowed the tempo of the game right down in these closing stages and are not making any attempt to get a late winner.

The second playoff semi-final reaches its halfway point and it is still very finely poised between Wigan Athletic and Queens Park Rangers after a goalless first leg at the DW Stadium. Chances were at a premium throughout, although the second half was a vast improvement on what was a dull and dreary opening 45 minutes. It is advantage QPR ever so slightly in the race to Wembley, but Wigan are still very much in the tie.

The best chance of the match fell to Wigan and Fortune, who blazed an effort over the bar with an almost open goal to aim at. It wasn't quite a sitter as the ball came to him very quickly, but he got a good look at it before turning it towards goal and will be disappointed that he didn't finish. Other than that, there was little goalmouth action and the only time either keeper was really made to work came via a Jordi Gomez opening at the end of the first half.

Right, that is all we have time for this evening! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for what was an intriguing if not action-packed playoff semi-finals first leg. It remains goalless going into the second leg at Loftus Road on Monday, and you can follow that match, along with every single playoff tie, live with us. We will also be covering the final day of the Premier League season on Sunday as a fascinating title race reaches its conclusion, so be sure to join us for that too. For now, though, I will leave you with our match report from tonight's game and bid you farewell!