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EFL Championship final day permutations for title win, play-offs and relegation
It's the climax to an enthralling Championship season on Saturday with the best coverage across the talkSPORT Network.
Nine months, 540 games of second-tier English football, have all come down to a final few hours of twists and turns.
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The Championship continues to deliver the best entertainment in the EFL, with the title race, playoffs, and relegation all still to be decided.
TalkSPORT Two will provide live, exclusive commentary of Coventry vs Middlesbrough at 12.30pm, with updates from all the key matches.
The relegation battle
- Who is involved? Stoke City, Derby County, Preston North End, Luton Town, Hull City and Plymouth Argyle
- Already relegated: Cardiff City
Aaron Ramsey’s caretaker spell at Cardiff ended in heartbreak last weekend, after becoming the first team to drop into League One.
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A 0-0 draw with West Brom moved the Bluebirds to the bottom of the division and an insurmountable five points from safety.
Plymouth look destined to join them, having struggled to recover from their dismal start to the campaign under Wayne Rooney.
The ex-England captain left the Pilgrims last in the Championship and in need of a miracle when he was sacked in December.
Miron Muslic's side sits three points from safety, but also need a 14-goal swing over Luton Town to preserve their second-division status.
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If that wasn't hard enough, Plymouth are facing top-of-the-table Leeds, with the Hatters away to playoff-chasing West Brom.
However, the last relegation spot can still be filled by any one of five teams, with Hull City in 22nd the most at risk of the drop.
The Tigers are a point off safety, but have a better goal difference than Luton (by +12), and Preston (by +1), so a draw would be enough if either of those teams loses. A win guarantees survival, with Derby playing Stoke City.
| Team | Position | Points | Goal Difference | Who are they playing? | What do they need? |
| Plymouth | 23rd | 46 points | GD -36 | Leeds United (h) | Beat Leeds, with Luton losing while overturning a 14-goal swing. Also need a Hull City loss at Portsmouth |
| Hull City | 22nd | 48 points | GD -10 | Portsmouth (a) | A loss equals relegation. Better the result of one of Luton, Preston or Derby to stay up |
| Luton Town | 21st | 49 points | GD -22 | West Bromwich Albion (a) | Win at West Brom or if Hull lose. |
| Preston | 20th | 49 points | GD -11 | Bristol City (a) | Win at Bristol City or if Hull lose |
| Derby | 19th | 49 points | GD -8 | Stoke City (h) | Win at home to Stoke or if Hull lose. |
| Stoke | 18th | 50 points | GD -17 | Derby County (a) | Avoid defeat at Derby - A defeat by fewer than five goals will only lead to relegation if Luton and Hull win and Preston get at least a draw |
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The play-off chase
- Who is involved? Bristol City, Coventry City, Millwall, Blackburn Rovers and Middlesbrough
- Already secured play-off spot: Sheffield United (3rd confirmed), Sunderland (4th confirmed)
Sheffield United and Sunderland have already cemented their places in third and fourth, having missed out on automatic promotion.
Bristol City's heavy defeat to Leeds on Monday cost the club the chance to seal their place ahead of the final day.
But Liam Manning's men still hold all the cards in the play-off race when they host relegation-threatened Preston.
Victory will guarantee their spot, but a draw could also be enough for the Robins. Lose and they could finish as low as eighth.
Elsewhere, Frank Lampard's Coventry City remain in sixth place on goal difference and face a do-or-die clash with Middlesbrough.
Millwall and Blackburn both know that anything less than wins over big-hitters Burnley and Sheffield United will likely end their hopes.
| Team | Position | Points | Goal Difference | Who are they playing? | What do they need? |
| Middlesbrough | 9th | 64 points | GD +10 | Coventry City (a) | Boro go into the top six with a win and if Millwall and Blackburn fail to win. Victory also enough if Bristol City lose and only one of Millwall or Blackburn win |
| Blackburn | 8th | 65 points | GD +5 | Sheffield United (a) | Rovers go into the top six with a win, but only if two of Bristol City, Coventry and Millwall fail to win |
| Millwall | 7th | 66 points | GD 0 | Burnley (a) | The Lions go into the top six with a win if one of Bristol City or Coventry fail to win |
| Coventry | 6th | 66 points | GD +4 | Middlesbrough (h) | Coventry will finish in a play-off spot if they beat Boro. A draw would be enough if either 1) Millwall and Blackburn both fail to win, or 2) Bristol City lose, and one of Millwall or Blackburn fail to win |
| Bristol City | 5th | 67 points | GD +4 | Preston (h) | Win at home to Preston. Draw and defeat only enough coupled with results elsewhere. |
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The title race
- Burnley (2nd, 97 points, GD +51)
- Leeds (1st, 97 points, GD +64)
The race to decide the Championship title is the simplest of all, with the top two already-promoted sides in a straight silverware shootout.
Leeds will be crowned champions if they match Burnley's result, unless both win and the Clarets overhaul a 13-goal swing.
Leeds will win the title with a victory or indeed a draw away at Plymouth, providing Scott Parker's side fail to beat Millwall at home.
Burnley will win the title with a victory, and if Leeds either draw or are defeated by the relegation-threatened Pilgrims.
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Championship final-day fixtures
All matches kick off 12:30pm...
- Bristol City (5th) v Preston (20th)
- Burnley (2nd) v Millwall (7th)
- Coventry City (6th) v Middlesbrough (9th) - talkSPORT 2 EXCLUSIVE
- Derby County (19th) v Stoke City (18th)
- Norwich City (14th) v Cardiff City (24th)
- Plymouth Argyle (23rd) v Leeds (1st)
- Portsmouth (16th) v Hull City (22nd)
- Sheffield United (3rd) v Blackburn Rovers (8th)
- Sunderland (4th) v QPR (15th)
- Swansea City (11th) v Oxford United (17th)
- Watford (13th) v Sheffield Wednesday (12th)
- West Brom (10th) v Luton Town (21st)