Championship final day permutations: Promotion, play-offs and relegation | Football | Sport

Automatic Promotion Race: Coventry City have already secured the title and the first promotion spot. Ipswich Town are currently second with 81 points, followed by Millwall (80) and Middlesbrough (79). One of those teams will secure the final automatic promotion place to the Premier League, while the other two will drop into the play-offs.

Ipswich Town’s Path: Ipswich are in the strongest position; a win against QPR guarantees them second place. They can also go up with a draw if Millwall fail to win and Middlesbrough do not win by more than five goals. If they lose, they need both Millwall and Middlesbrough to fail to win their matches.

Millwall and Middlesbrough Hopes: Millwall must beat relegated Oxford United and hope Ipswich fail to win. Middlesbrough have the hardest task; they must beat Wrexham and hope Ipswich lose and Millwall fail to win. Boro could also finish second if they win by 6+ goals, Ipswich draw, and Millwall do not win.

The Battle for Sixth: Wrexham (6th, 70pts), Hull City (7th, 70pts), and Derby County (8th, 69pts) are fighting for the final play-off spot. Southampton are already guaranteed a play-off place alongside two of the top four teams. Wrexham currently lead Hull by a single goal in the goal difference standings (+1).

Play-off Permutations: Wrexham qualify if they beat Middlesbrough, provided Hull don’t win by a larger margin. Hull will leapfrog them if they better Wrexham’s result or win by a wider margin. If both win and end with identical records, Hull take sixth place because they beat Wrexham twice this season (head-to-head tiebreaker).

Derby County’s Outsider Chance: Derby must beat Sheffield United and hope both Wrexham and Hull drop points. However, a draw could be enough for the Rams to sneak into the top six if both Wrexham and Hull lose their respective matches, due to Derby’s superior goal difference over their rivals.

Relegation Already Decided: Unlike the battles at the top of the table, the drama at the bottom has concluded. The articles confirm that the three relegation spots have already been decided prior to the final day, with Oxford United mentioned as one of the teams already confirmed for the drop to League One.