Championship Final Day: A Thrilling Conclusion
The Championship is set for a thrilling final day as teams battle for promotion and play-off spots. Coventry City, the newly crowned champions, will return to the Premier League after a 25-year absence, but who will join them in the top flight?
Ipswich Town are in control of the second automatic spot, aiming for an immediate return to the Premier League. However, Millwall and Middlesbrough still have hope of securing their place.
Meanwhile, Wrexham, Hull, and Derby will compete for the final play-off spot, with FA Cup semi-finalists Southampton having already secured their position.
Final-Day Fixtures
Here are the key matches on the final day:
- Blackburn vs Leicester
- Bristol City vs Stoke
- Derby vs Sheff Utd
- Hull vs Norwich
- Ipswich vs QPR
- Millwall vs Oxford Utd
- Portsmouth vs Birmingham
- Preston North End vs Southampton
- Sheff Wed vs West Brom
- Swansea vs Charlton
- Watford vs Coventry
- Wrexham vs Middlesbrough
Promotion Scenarios
1st: Coventry City (C,P) | Pts: 92, GD: +48
2nd: Ipswich Town | Pts: 81, GD: +30
3rd: Millwall | Pts: 80, GD: +13
4th: Middlesbrough | Pts: 79, GD: +25
For Ipswich and Kieran McKenna’s side, the path to promotion is straightforward: beat QPR at Portman Road and an immediate return to the Premier League will be sealed, regardless of results elsewhere.
A draw complicates things, giving Millwall a chance to earn promotion with a victory at home against Oxford United. If both Ipswich and Millwall fail to win, Middlesbrough would have a shot at promotion, but only if they thrash play-off hopefuls Wrexham by six goals away from home.
Millwall cannot secure promotion with a draw due to goal difference, while Middlesbrough also needs to win. If they do, they would need Ipswich to lose and Millwall to slip up.
Play-Off Scenarios
5th: Southampton (PO) | Pts: 77, GD: +24
6th: Wrexham | Pts: 70, GD: +4, GF: 67
7th: Hull City | Pts: 70, GD: +3, GF: 68
8th: Derby | Pts: 69, GD: +9, GF: 66
The play-off race is expected to come down to goal difference. A win for Wrexham over Middlesbrough may not be enough, as Hull could overtake them if they better their margin of victory by one against Norwich.
For example, if Wrexham win 2-1 but Hull win 3-1, the teams would be level on goal difference, but Hull would clinch a play-off spot on the number of goals scored.
However, because the gap is so tight, Wrexham could still qualify with a one-goal victory if they are involved in a high-scoring game against Middlesbrough. A 4-3 win for Wrexham, combined with a 2-0 win for Hull, would flip the scenario, allowing Wrexham to earn a play-off spot on the number of goals scored, even though the teams are still level on goal difference.
A draw would only be good enough for Wrexham if both Hull and Derby fail to win. Similarly, that result would only be good enough for Hull if both Wrexham and Derby fail to take three points.
Derby could jump into the top-six if they better the results of both Wrexham and Hull. They could achieve this by beating Sheffield United and ensuring both Wrexham and Hull fail to win, or if they draw and Wrexham and Hull lose.
Play-Off Seeding
Play-off seeding is still to be decided. Southampton could potentially earn the third-seed in the play-offs, but would need Millwall to lose and Middlesbrough to draw. If Millwall picks up a point, the Saints would take the fourth-seed, along with a home second leg in the semi-finals, if they beat Preston away from home and Middlesbrough fail to win at Wrexham.
