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Neither side produced particularly convincing semi-final performances, but both managed to squeeze through when it mattered most. There is very little to split the two sides on paper, and this looks set to be an extremely tight final at Wembley. 

With that being said, Salford will carry confidence into this match, given that they won both regular season meetings against Notts County. Salford have a positive head-to-head record against Notts County, having won each of the last five encounters, and they will hope to replicate those performances on Monday. 

Notts County were far from their best against Chesterfield in the semi-finals - they managed just two shots in the first leg, of which one found the back of the net. They were equally as passive in the second leg, happy to hold out for a 0-0 draw, and this time they managed just four shots.

Both regular season meetings between the sides finished 2-1, meaning BTTS has landed in each of the last three head-to-head encounters. While play-off finals can occasionally become tight and cagey, this is a clash between two sides with real quality in the final third. 

Salford's semi-final play-off games were a lot more entertaining, and they were taken all the way to extra time by Grimsby Town. The first leg finished 2-1 to Salford, before they then scored the first goal of the game in the second leg. Grimsby showed courage to fight back to 3-3, but they were eventually pegged back by a late goal. 

It was unusual to see Notts County so passive in the play-off semi-finals, especially as they scored 74 goals and conceded 52 in the regular season, averaging 2.7 goals per game.

With so much on the line on Monday afternoon, tensions will be heightened, and neither side will want to make a mistake - fouls are a market to target in these kinds of matchups. The two regular season head-to-head encounters between Salford and Notts County were feisty affairs. When the sides last met at Meadow Lane, the hosts committed 17 fouls to Salford's 12, and the away fixture also produced 29 fouls. This time, Notts County accounted for 11 infringements, to Salford’s 18. 

Tom Iorpenda is averaging 1.78 fouls per 90 across all competitions this season, one of the highest figures in the Notts County squad, and he committed three fouls in the tense second leg against Chesterfield. 

He also contributed two fouls against Salford when he last faced them, which shows how this is a great matchup to target him again - Iorpenda likes to put himself about in duels, and he should have plenty to contest at Wembley.

Given the foul counts expected from both sides, set pieces are likely to play a significant role in this final, which makes Luke Garbutt a player of interest. The Salford captain is the designated free kick taker for his side, and he comes into this match having just had two efforts against Grimsby in the second leg. He blanked in the first leg, but still chipped in with an assist, which shows his influence in the final third. 

Garbutt recorded three shots when the sides last met, two of which came directly from free kicks and one from open play. He strikes the ball cleanly, and is given plenty of attacking freedom, despite being listed as a left back.

Garbutt is averaging 1.17 shots per 90 across all competitions this season, and there should be plenty of opportunities for him to get forward and let fly against Notts County here.

Haji Mnoga did not start either of the regular season meetings against Salford, but he was given a much bigger role in the play-off semi-final fixtures, which suggests he is likely to get the nod to start in this final at right back ahead of Rosaire Longelo. 

Mnoga committed five fouls across the two semi-final matches, with two infringements in the away fixture and three at home, highlighting how combative he is when it comes to contesting duels.

Mnoga is averaging 2.39 fouls per 90 across all competitions this season, which is notably high, and that has translated into 13 yellow cards and one red from just 29 appearances. He has the worst disciplinary record in the Notts County squad, and this is a tough matchup for him - he should see plenty of involvement on the defensive front, so this price stands out.

Jacob Bedeau is another player that the referee will have to keep a careful eye on, and he did play in both regular season meetings against Salford. The Notts County centre back was shown a yellow card when the two teams met at Meadow Lane, and then he committed four fouls in the away fixture at Salford, but was fortunate to escape a booking.

Bedeau is averaging 1.06 fouls per 90 this season, and the 26-year-old has been shown 11 yellow cards in his 46 appearances in League Two. Bedeau is a very physical player, and he often likes to step out of the back three to try and get tight to his opposing striker. That approach can sometimes leave him caught out of position and forced into committing a cynical foul. Salford are not short of pace and directness in their forward line, so Bedeau should be heavily involved.

Ryan Graydon has been Salford's most productive player in the final third this season, and he finished the regular season with 11 goals and eight assists - that is more goal involvements than any other player in the squad. One of those goals came when he faced Notts County in the regular season, so he has every reason to be looking forward to his matchup. 

Operating from the right wing, Graydon often looks to deliver crosses into the box, but he also looks to try and get in behind. He is adept at finding the right space in promising positions, although he sometimes can be wasteful. In fact, Graydon has missed the most big chances of any Salford player this season. Still, he has at least shown a tendency to pop up in those positions, and Graydon has also created the joint-most big chances for his side.