Championship run-in: Leeds, Ipswich - who will join Leicester in Premier League?
Leicester City earned an instant return to the Premier League on Friday and can win the title with victory at Preston on Monday.
That leaves Leeds and Ipswich level on points as they bid to join Leicester in the top flight.
Ipswich have a game in hand, knowing four points from their final two games will secure automatic promotion.
Southampton are now destined for the play-offs following their home defeat by Stoke.
BBC Sport examines the run-in and the Opta predictions.
Current table
Team | Played | Points | GD | GS | Form (past 5 games) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. Leicester | 44 | 94 | 47 | 86 | WLLWW |
2. Leeds | 45 | 90 | 39 | 80 | LDLWL |
3. Ipswich | 44 | 90 | 32 | 88 | WLDDD |
4. Southampton | 45 | 84 | 23 | 85 | WWLLL |
What are the remaining fixtures for each club?
Date | Ipswich | Leicester | Leeds | Southampton |
|---|---|---|---|---|
29 April | Preston (a) | |||
30 April | Coventry (a) | |||
4 May | Huddersfield (h) | Blackburn (h) | Southampton (h) | Leeds (a) |
Who are the favourites?
Opta, with its 10,000 'supercomputer' simulations, has Ipswich as favourites to secure the second automatic promotion spot, with Kieran McKenna's side given a 65% chance of automatic promotion.
Leeds' fate is out of their own hands because of Ipswich having a game in hand, which is reflected in them being given a 35% chance of finishing runners-up to the Foxes.
Predicted Championship final table - Opta | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
1. Leicester | 97 | 100 | 98 | 1st - 94 points |
2. Leeds | 0 | 35 | 92 | 2nd - 90 points |
3. Ipswich | 3 | 65 | 93 | 3rd - 90 points |
Predicted points rounded down to nearest point | ||||
Opta predicts the current top three will all pass the 90-point mark. No side has managed that and failed to be promoted in the past 10 seasons.
"The league is spectacular and you're a fool if you try and predict it because there's been so many twists and turns," former Ipswich and Luton striker Sam Parkin told BBC Radio 5 Live.
Former Hull, Derby and Bolton manager Phil Brown said: "It is all about bottle and the pressure. It is all about being able to handle that as a group and club."
What if the teams finish level on points?
Should there be a tie, the league is decided on goal difference, then goals scored, then most points in the head-to-head matches, then goal difference in head-to-head games, before goals scored in those games.
If all of that is level we go to number of wins, then goals scored in away games.
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