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Championship permutations: Who needs what on the final day of the season?

Odds and analysis for the final round of fixtures in the 2023-24 Championship

Ipswich need a point to secure promotion to the Premier League
Ipswich need a point to secure promotion to the Premier LeagueCredit: Naomi Baker

Leicester and Rotherham are guaranteed to finish top and bottom of the Championship table but elsewhere in the division there is plenty to play for when the final round of fixtures kicks off at 12.30pm on Saturday.

Ipswich in pole position for back-to-back promotions

Leicester's 3-0 win at Preston on Monday sealed the Championship title for the 4-1 ante-post shots and Ipswich are poised to claim the second automatic-promotion spot.

The Tractor Boys, last season's League One runners-up, only need a point at home to Huddersfield, who are effectively relegated, in order to finish second.

If Ipswich lose and third-placed Leeds beat Southampton at Elland Road then Leeds would finish second on goal difference.

Tigers targeting final-day playoff heist

Either Ipswich or Leeds will end up in the playoffs along with Southampton, who are guaranteed to finish fourth whatever their final-day result at Elland Road.

Fifth-placed Norwich are 1-200 to make the playoffs and sixth-placed West Brom are 1-16. The only threat to them comes from Hull, who need to win at Plymouth to have any chance of finishing in the top six.

If the Tigers win and West Brom lose at home to Bristol City then Hull would take sixth spot. However, a draw is effectively enough for the Baggies as they have a goal difference of +20 compared with Hull's +9.

The only way Norwich can miss out is if they lose at Birmingham, West Brom avoid defeat, and Hull win and overturn a goal-difference deficit of seven with the Canaries.

Birmingham desperate to put pressure on Pilgrims

Rotherham's fate has been sealed for some time and the relegated Millers have picked up only 24 points from 45 matches this season.

Second-bottom Huddersfield are effectively down too. They could finish level on points with Plymouth but their goal difference is -27, 15 worse than that of the Pilgrims.

Plymouth start the day outside the relegation zone on 48 points, one point ahead of Birmingham with a goal-difference advantage of four.

Birmingham, then, need to beat Norwich and hope Plymouth fail to take maximum points against Hull. Blues could stay up with a draw but only if Plymouth lose by at least five goals at home to the playoff-chasing Tigers.

Sheffield Wednesday and Blackburn are 16-1 for relegation. Both are three points clear of danger on 50 points so a draw would secure safety for the Owls, who travel to Sunderland, and Rovers, who are away to champions Leicester.

Regardless of their own final-day results, Wednesday and Blackburn will stay up if Birmingham or Plymouth fail to win.


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