Championship promotion permutations: Who can seal top-flight status and who can qualify for play-offs | OneFootball

Marc Mayo

The race for promotion from the Championship hots up tonight when Leeds play QPR.

Daniel Farke takes his men to west London with a one-point lead over Ipswich in the race to reach the Premier League, although the Tractor Boys have a game in hand.

Leicester top the table and now look to be on the brink of securing the title despite a wobbly run of form over the spring.

The race for the play-offs is also not yet finished, with Hull lingering in the hope of a slip-up from West Brom or Norwich.

Leicester: Position: 1st. Played: 44. Points: 94. Goal Difference: +47

Remaining games: Preston (a), Blackburn (h)

The Foxes will seal promotion if Leeds lose at QPR on Friday. Ipswich’s trip to Hull won’t deliver a definitive outcome for their battle but Leicester then travel to Preston on Monday, where a win can also secure an automatic spot.

The title will be theirs if they win both games left, with Blackburn at home on the final day.

Leeds: Position: 2nd. Played: 44. Points: 90. Goal Difference: +43

Remaining games: QPR (a), Southampton (h)

Having won only one of their last five, Leeds do not have control of their own destiny. They must hope for a major slip-up by Leicester and/or Ipswich.

Both of their final games come against teams with something left to play for, as QPR are not yet safe from relegation and Southampton sit fourth.

Ipswich: Position: 3rd. Played: 43. Points: 89. Goal Difference: +32

Remaining games: Hull (a), Coventry (a), Huddersfield (h)

The Tractor Boys will return to the Premier League if they win each of their final three games. But trips to the teams sat seventh and eighth promise to be tricky, particularly after failing to win any of their last three.

Hull are up first on Saturday night and goal difference also means a draw will not be enough unless Leeds drop points.

Southampton: Position: 4th. Played: 44. Points: 84. Goal Difference: +24

Remaining games: Stoke (h), Leeds (a)

With the play-offs assured, Russell Martin’s Saints still have the slimmest of chances for automatic promotion.

Back-to-back defeats mean they will hope to use the final two games to prepare for the end-of-season lottery.

Remaining games: Sheffield Wednesday (a), Preston (h)

Two defeats in a row have left the Baggies without a guaranteed spot in the play-offs, but one win will likely be enough.

Norwich: Position: 6th. Played: 44. Points: 72. Goal Difference: +16

Remaining games: Swansea (h), Birmingham (a)

The Canaries also really only need one win to confirm their spot but won’t fancy leaving it to the last day, when they face a Birmingham side battling relegation.

Hull: Position: 7th. Played: 44. Points: 69. Goal Difference: +9

Remaining games: Ipswich (h), Plymouth (a)

Two wins and a serious slip-up from one of Norwich or West Brom are required for Hull, due to their poor goal difference, despite a run of five games unbeaten.

Coventry can also, technically, qualify for the play-offs with three games left to play and a nine-point deficit to fifth and sixth place. That requires them to beat Blackburn, Ipswich and QPR with West Brom or Norwich losing both of their games and Hull picking up no more than three points, goal-difference pending.