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Championship final day permutations: Five teams battling for final two playoff places

Sports Mole rounds up all of the permutations for the final day of the 2022-23 Championship season, with the final two playoff places still up for grabs.

The 2022-23 Championship season comes to a close on Monday afternoon following another typically unpredictable and entertaining season in the second tier.

Many of the important positions have already been filled ahead of the final day, with Burnley and Sheffield United sealing their places in the Premier League next season.

At the other end of the table, Reading were confirmed as the final relegated team during the week, joining Blackpool and Wigan Athletic in being condemned to League One next season.

However, there is plenty still to be decided in the playoff picture, with two places still up for grabs and as many as five teams still in contention.

Here, Sports Mole rounds up all of the permutations for the final day of the Championship season.



THIS WEEKEND'S CHAMPIONSHIP PERMUTATIONS

Burnley players celebrate on the pitch after winning the match to become champions on April 25, 2023© Reuters

Champions: Burnley

Promoted: Burnley, Sheffield United

Guaranteed playoffs: Luton Town, Middlesbrough

Already relegated: Reading, Blackpool, Wigan Athletic

WHAT COULD HAPPEN THIS WEEKEND?

  • Two of Coventry City, Millwall, Sunderland, West Bromwich Albion and Blackburn Rovers will clinch a playoff spot


  • PLAYOFF PICTURE

    Championship playoff picture May 6 2023

    KEY FIXTURES

    All games kick off at 3pm on Monday

    Middlesbrough vs. Coventry
    Millwall vs. Blackburn
    Preston North End vs. Sunderland
    Swansea City vs. West Bromwich Albion

    With both automatic promotion places and all three relegation spots having already been confirmed, all attention will be on the playoff picture on the final day of the season.

    As many as five teams are still in contention for the two remaining top-six places, and two of those face each other with Millwall hosting Blackburn.

    Coventry go into the final day in the strongest position; their three-point lead over seventh place means that they simply need to avoid defeat on the final day to guarantee a playoff spot, although they do face a difficult test away to a Middlesbrough side already assured to finish fourth.

    Millwall currently occupy the final playoff spot and also go into the final day in a strong position with a two-point lead over the chasing pack, although a draw would bring goal difference into proceedings if Sunderland or West Brom also win.

    Victory would assure them of a place in the top six, but defeat would ensure that they miss out and bring Blackburn into the equation.

    Sunderland are the best-placed of the chasing pack and would finish in the playoff places if they win and Millwall fail to win, as long as West Brom do not win by four more goals than Sunderland do.

    The Black Cats would also secure a top-six finish if they win and Coventry lose, as they would then be at least level on goal difference with a better goals-for tally than Coventry.

    West Brom are likely to need help from elsewhere to stand any chance of making the playoffs; first and foremost they need to win themselves, while they would also need Millwall and Sunderland to fail to win, or for Millwall to fail to win and to beat Swansea by four more goals than Sunderland beat Preston by.

    There is also potential to finish in the top six if they win and Coventry lose, although that would require a five-goal swing and for one of the Millwall or Sunderland results to go their way too.

    Blackburn are the final team still in contention, but their vastly inferior goal difference means that they would realistically need to beat Millwall and hope that Sunderland and West Brom both lose to sneak into the playoffs.



    CHAMPIONSHIP TABLE IN FULL

    Championship full table May 6 2023

    Click here for Championship form guides, home and away tables, top scorers, best defences, best attacks and more.



    MONDAY'S CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE IN FULL

    Monday, May 8

    All games kick off at 3pm

    Birmingham City vs. Sheffield United
    Burnley vs. Cardiff City
    Huddersfield Town vs. Reading
    Luton Town vs. Hull City
    Middlesbrough vs. Coventry
    Millwall vs. Blackburn
    Norwich City vs. Blackpool
    Preston vs. Sunderland
    Queens Park Rangers vs. Bristol City
    Swansea City vs. West Brom
    Watford vs. Stoke City
    Wigan Athletic vs. Rotherham United

    Click here for a full list of this season's Championship results


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    Wigan Athletic manager Shaun Maloney before the match on March 11, 2023
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    Tables header RHS
    TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
    1Sunderland1594225111431
    2Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd1510321971231
    3Leeds UnitedLeeds158522491529
    4Burnley157621861227
    5West Bromwich AlbionWest Brom15672169725
    6Watford158162322125
    7Middlesbrough157352317624
    8Millwall156541813523
    9Blackburn RoversBlackburn156451917222
    10Bristol City155732019122
    11Swansea CitySwansea155461110119
    12Derby CountyDerby155461919019
    13Stoke CityStoke155461819-119
    14Norwich CityNorwich154652322118
    15Sheffield WednesdaySheff Weds155371725-818
    16Oxford UnitedOxford Utd154561718-117
    17Coventry CityCoventry154472021-116
    18Plymouth ArgylePlymouth154471526-1116
    19Hull City153661620-415
    20Preston North EndPreston153661523-815
    21Luton TownLuton154381726-915
    22Cardiff CityCardiff154381423-915
    23Portsmouth152671628-1212
    24Queens Park RangersQPR151771225-1310


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