Championship 2023/24: Leicester, Leeds and Ipswich in three-way automatic promotion battle
Watch the Championship automatic promotion race unfold; watch QPR vs Leeds on Sky Sports Football from 7.30pm on Friday; kick-off 8pm | Ipswich head to Hull on Saturday from 7.30pm; kick-off 8pm | Preston vs Leicester on Monday night from 7pm; kick-off 8pm.
With just two rounds in the Championship left to play, we take a look at how the race for promotion to the Premier League is shaping up.
Leicester thumped Southampton 5-0 on Tuesday to move within one win of promotion. The result effectively ended the Saints’ automatic promotion hopes, due to their significantly inferior goal difference. Meanwhile, Leeds and Ipswich remain in the race.
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Highlights from the Championship clash between Leicester and Southampton.
So, who wants promotion the most? Who will hold their nerve to the last? And who is going to be left at the mercy of the play-offs?
Here, we take a look at the race for the Premier League…
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Sky Sports duo Simeon Gholam and David Prutton take a look ahead at Gameweek 45 in the Sky Bet Championship, predicting the results of every fixture; listen to the podcast below or via any of your regular podcast providers.
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Current standings
Who has the easiest run-in?
Leicester now have the easiest run-in with the average position of their upcoming opponents standing at just 14.5.
Kieran McKenna’s side still have three games to play with their average opponent ranking at 12.7 – but that number is skewed – facing 23rd-placed Huddersfield on the final day after tricky trips to Hull and Coventry.
Leeds have the toughest run-in on paper with opponents averaging 11.0 in the table, with a trip to QPR under the Sky cameras on Friday before facing Southampton on the final day.
Upcoming fixtures
1st – Leicester, 94 points
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Highlights of the Sky Bet Championship clash between Leicester City and West Bromwich Albion
Leicester are in control of their own destiny. The emphatic victory against Southampton saw the Foxes require just one more win from their remaining two games to guarantee automatic promotion – and they can still reach 100 points.
Defeat for Leeds on Friday night at QPR would also see them promoted before they visit Preston on Monday.
2nd – Leeds, 90 points
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Highlights of the Sky Bet Championship match between Middlesbrough and Leeds United
A dramatic 4-3 win at Middlesbrough on Monday night kept Leeds firmly in promotion contention. Victory on Friday night at QPR – live on Sky Sports – can move them four points clear of Ipswich – albeit the Tractor Boys will then have two games in hand.
Defeat would promote Leicester, meanwhile.
3rd – Ipswich, 89 points
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Highlights of the Sky Bet Championship match between Ipswich and Middlesbrough
Ipswich still have their destiny in their own hands. But have had a frustrating two-week wait between games, watching their rivals take centre stage. Three wins from their final three games would still guarantee promotion.
How the table has changed
Could it go down to goals scored?
Automatic promotion could go down to goals scored if Leicester and Leeds were to finish in second and third place.
As it stands, four points, four goals for goal difference and six goals for goals scored divide the sides – all in the Foxes’ favour.
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Who’s in form?
Leicester are the most in-form side out of the title contenders, averaging 1.8 points per game over their past five league fixtures.
Leeds will hope they continue to recover after almost hitting a season-low level of form, while Ipswich have hit a dip after registering two successive draws.
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Who is in the mix for the play-offs?
Predicted table
The margins could not be finer. Data provider Opta predicts Ipswich will claim runners-up spot but with only 0.05 more points than Leeds.
As it stands, Leeds would win automatic promotion via goal difference if both sides finish level on points in second and third spots.
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