Soccer

Who goes up, who goes down and who makes the top six? Championship final day

There is plenty to play for on Saturday.

Kieran McKenna, centre, is on the brink of promotion with Ipswich but Birmingham boss Gary Rowett, left, and Huddersfield’s Andre Breitenreiter are in relegation danger
Kieran McKenna, centre, is on the brink of promotion with Ipswich but Birmingham boss Gary Rowett, left, and Huddersfield’s Andre Breitenreiter are in relegation danger
By Tom White, PA Sport Data Journalist

The Championship regular season comes to an end on Saturday lunchtime with promotion, play-off and relegation issues still to be decided.

Ipswich, after beating Coventry on Tuesday night, need only a point against Huddersfield to join champions Leicester in next season’s Premier League.

Leeds still have an outside chance of second place but must beat Southampton, who are guaranteed to finish fourth, and hope Ipswich lose.

Kieran McKenna’s side need a point on the final day
Kieran McKenna’s side need a point on the final day (Bradley Collyer/PA)

Ipswich’s opponents Huddersfield will be relegated barring the most unlikely combination of scorelines.

The Terriers must win, hope Plymouth and Birmingham both lose and make up a goal-difference deficit of 15 to Argyle. A draw for Blues would additionally leave Town needing to win their own game by 11 goals.

Birmingham themselves need to win against Norwich and hope Plymouth do not beat Hull, or that Blackburn or Sheffield Wednesday lose to Leicester or Sunderland respectively – Blues would move above either of the latter pair on goal difference in that scenario. A draw would only keep them up if Plymouth lose by five.

Birmingham and Huddersfield need a final-day escape from relegation
Birmingham and Huddersfield need a final-day escape from relegation (Jess Hornby/PA)

Plymouth would be safe with a win, and Blackburn and Sheffield Wednesday with a point.

Norwich need only a point to secure a play-off place, and realistically that is also the scenario for West Brom when they play Preston.

Hull can gatecrash the party if they beat Argyle and West Brom lose, or if they turn around a seven-goal deficit to Norwich – a draw for Albion would leave Hull requiring an 11-goal win to overtake them.