David Wagner's Huddersfield Town memories are Norwich City's inspiration for play-off second leg at Leeds United

Because the way the Canaries are set up for their Championship play-off semi-final second leg has a lot of similarities with the year Wagner took Huddersfield Town into the Premier League for the first (and so far only) time.

No wonder he declared at full-time on Sunday: "I'm absolutely fine with what I've seen, I'm in a very positive mood and very positive mindset. We're fully in the game."

In 2016-17 Huddersfield started their play-offs at home to one of Yorkshire's giants, who they had lost home and away to in the regular season, searching for form after finishing their season with three defeats in the last four games. Norwich ended 2023-24 with two draws and a loss.

The Canaries, like the Terriers, began with a 0-0 draw which on paper tilted the balance away from them.

A 2017 stalemate with Sheffield Wednesday – with Izzy Brown grazing the crossbar for Huddersfield and Kieren Westwood saving from Nahki Wells – was only "okay" according to Wagner.

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But they drew the second leg 1-1 at Hillsborough – an own goal from then-Owls, now-Town defender Tom Lees cancelling out Steven Fletcher's opener – and won the shoot-out 4-3, Danny Ward saving from Sam Hutchinson and Fernando Forestieri.

There have only been three goalless finals – one per division – in 37 years of Football League play-offs yet Huddersfield played in all of them, winning each on penalties.

Seven years ago Wagner joked he had the advantage of being German – so was Christopher Schindler, who scored the winner in the final against Reading – but so is Leeds manager Daniel Farke. This time the advantage lies elsewhere.

Because whilst in all 46 matches of Leeds' regular season two-time title winner Farke had the edge in terms of experience, this is his first English play-off. Wagner has been there and got the T-shirt.

That experience shone through when he talked to the media on Sunday, exuding a confidence that should transmit to his players.

"We knew these semis would never be decided in the first leg," he said. "All cards are still on the table. Half-time, 0-0, it's game on.

"We lost the last game of the regular season (to Birmingham City) so a clean sheet and a draw is a first step, for sure, a clear improvement."

Travelling to Elland Road holds no fears for Wagner after taking Town to Hillsborough. In fact, he thinks the atmosphere could work in his side's favour.

This is Leeds' sixth play-off and they are yet to win promotion that way, or even at Elland Road since the very first series in 1986-87.

"It does not automatically have to be an advantage to play the second leg at home where expectation is great and pressure is big as well," cautioned Wagner.

"Every second, every minute when we play at Elland Road and we are in the game it's a minute in our favour with this underdog role.

"This is not a secret, this is the truth and it's up to us to make this count."