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Saints' poor run to continue at Elland Road
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Tigers to taunt struggling Pilgrims
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Triumphant Swans in South Wales
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Leeds vs Southampton
Whites to recover from last week's stutter
Opta Stat:
"Leeds have won eight of their last 13 home league matches against Southampton (D3 L2), beating them 1-0 in the Premier League last season at Elland Road thanks to a goal from Junior Firpo"
Leeds are wobbling. Their superb run of form at the beginning of 2024 is a distant memory and the Whites must put their insipid performance against QPR firmly behind them. Daniel Farke's side are facing a fellow top six side on the final day and although it would be appear to be a far from ideal fixture, they could benefit from the Saints' recent crisis of confidence. The hosts also have an excellent record at home against the top sides having beaten Ipswich, Leicester and Norwich here and they should be able to give themselves a realistic shot of automatic promotion.
Southampton have netted just a single goal in their last three and they appear to have lost their cutting edge. Last weekend's defeat to Stoke was dismal and if Niall Ennis hadn't fluffed his lines, they would have found themselves even further behind. The visitors have lost away at both Leicester and Ipswich this season and have conceded eight times across those two ties. This could be another tough day for Russell Martins' men.
Betfair Bet:
Birmingham vs Norwich
Desperate Blues aim to keep things tight
Opta Stat:
"Norwich City have won three of their last four away league visits to Birmingham (D1), although the last time they lost was against Gary Rowett's Blues in his first spell in August 2016, a 3-0 defeat"
Both sides still have something to play for in this contest, although the hosts' need is far greater. Birmingham are in danger of being relegated to the third tier for the first time in thirty years and although they are now unbeaten in their last three outings, they desperately need to take all of the points from this encounter. Gary Rowett has been drafted in to save the club from relegation and his side do look harder to penetrate. They have conceded just a single goal in their last three outings and will be keen not to give anything away, especially in the early stages of this contest. Rowett's men have conceded just three times in their last five at St. Andrews and they need to make themselves equally as obstinate on Saturday lunchtime.
Norwich are nestled in the play-offs and it would take a strange set of results to knock them out of the top six. Nevertheless, a point would alleviate any nerves. The Canaries haven't been fantastic on the road recently, although they did edge past Preston in their latest away trip. They don't need to win this and may need time to find a way past Brum's back-line.
Betfair Bet:
West Brom vs Preston
Baggies to bounce back and confirm that top six spot
Opta Stat:
"Preston have lost 11 of their last 12 away league matches against West Brom (W1), winning their only game in this sequence during the 2021-22 season"
West Brom are clinging on to the final play-off spot with Carlos Corberan's side enduring a poor run of form as they head into the final game of the campaign. Thankfully for the hosts, they are facing a side who checked out a few weeks ago and are already looking ahead to the summer. Despite this wobble, the hosts have an excellent home record this season and have won eight of their last 11 at the Hawthorns. They've netted 2+ goals in six of their last nine matches here and they need to be clinical in order to fend off Hull.
Preston were heavily defeated on Monday and showed very little willingness in the final third. With Alan Browne stalling over a new contract, there could be a fair few changes at Deepdale this summer. They've failed to score in six of their last seven matches and may struggle to find the back of the net here. They've taken just a single point when travelling to sides in the top eight this season and they've blanked in five of them.
Betfair Bet:
Ipswich vs Huddersfield
Terriers to give Ipswich a run for their money
Opta Stat:
"Ipswich Town have scored 57 home league goals this season, the most by a side in a Championship campaign since Reading scored 58 in 2005-06. The last second tier team to hit 60+ home goals in a single season were Man City in 2001-02 (63)"
Ipswich are 90 minutes away from returning to the Premier League. It's been a long time since the Tractor Boys graced the top flight with Gareth Gates topping the charts the last time they won a Premier League encounter. Kieran McKenna has done a brilliant job and his side held their nerve against Coventry on Tuesday night and promotion is now in their hands. The hosts only need to win in order to join Leicester in the top tier and they will fancy their chances against League One-bound Huddersfield. Although they've drawn their last two here, they haven't lost at Portman Road since late August and they have been involved in some very high-scoring games when hosting bottom-half opposition.
Huddersfield are virtually relegated. The Terriers need a significant swing in the goals to survive and they are unlikely to pull it off. Nevertheless, they have a decent record of scoring on the road and have found the net against three of the current top four. Ipswich regularly concede goals and Andre Breitenreiter's men will fancy their chances of bagging at least one and making this interesting.
Betfair Bet:
Plymouth vs Hull
In-form Tigers to punish Pilgrims
Opta Stat:
"Plymouth have lost five of their seven home league games that have fallen on the final day of the season (W2), with each of those defeats seeing the Pilgrims concede 2+ goals"
Plymouth have slipped down the table in 2024 and find themselves on the brink of the relegation zone. The Pilgrims are a point better off than Birmingham and they will keen to end on a victory at Home Park. Nevertheless, they are facing a side who still have an outside chance of reaching the play-offs and Hull will not simply take it easy. Plymouth have lacked firepower lately and have fired in just 17 shots across their last three matches. They haven't scored more than a single goal in a game since February 24th and have drawn a blank in four of their last eight.
Hull's excellent point against Ipswich on Saturday night keeps them (just about) in top six contention. Although it seems unlikely, Liam Rosenior's men will do everything they can to put pressure West Brom and Norwich. Hull are playing well and scoring goals again and that could be bad news for Plymouth.
Betfair Bet:
Swansea vs Millwall
Swans to cap off the season in style
Opta Stat:
"Millwall have lost their final league match in each of the last three seasons, conceding 11 goals across these defeats. In fact when finishing a league season away from home, Millwall have won just two of their last such 18 games (D4 L12)"
Similar to last season, Swansea are ending the campaign on a high. It appears that Luke Williams is getting his ideas across and the players are buying into his philosophy. They've won three of their last four and have netted ten times during that sequence. The hosts have also been more reliable defensively and they've conceded just a single goal in their last four at this venue.
Millwall are safe and Neil Harris has fulfilled his remit. The men from the Den have struggled on the road and have lost six of their last nine on their travels. The visitors don't offer much going forward and if they fall behind, they could struggle to mount a comeback.
Betfair Bet:
Middlesbrough vs Watford
Points shared at the Riverside
Opta Stat:
"Middlesbrough haven't won their final league match of the season in any of the last three seasons (D1 L2) since beating Sheffield Wednesday 2-1 in 2019-20"
Middlesbrough are ending the season on a high. Michael Carrick's men have now scored seven times in the last ten days and they'll be hoping to add to that tally on Saturday. Although their record on the road is better overall this season, they have been in good form in Teesside recently and have won three of their last five here. The form of Emmanuel Latte-Lath has been part of their success, although many members of the squad are now playing with plenty of freedom.
Watford have been excellent under Tom Cleverley and they're now much harder to beat. They've kept four clean sheets in five and have kept both Hull and Ipswich off the scoresheet recently. They will make it tough for the hosts.
Betfair Bet:
Coventry vs QPR
Weary Sky Blues to end the season on a low note
Opta Stat:
"In 31 Championship matches under Martí Cifuentes, Queens Park Rangers have conceded at a rate of exactly one per game (31 conceded). In their 31 matches prior to his appointment, the Hoops conceded 60 times. Since his first game, only Leeds have more clean sheets (13) than QPR (11)"
Coventry have endured a punishing schedule and they looked tired in the second half of their defeat to Ipswich on Tuesday night. Mark Robins' men will be keen to complete the season and they can reflect on a decent, but frustrating campaign. Unfortunately, they are struggling and this is far from the ideal fixture. They've lost five of the last seven and have conceded ten times in their last five outings.
QPR are safe and they can put their feet up. However, Marti Cifuentes is unlikely to let his players take it easy and there are several players who will be keen to secure their future at the club. The visitors have lost just two of their last nine on the road and have conceded just seven in their last eight overall. They should still be up for the fight.
Betfair Bet:
Rotherham vs Cardiff
Low margin and low-scoring season finale
Opta Stat:
"Rotherham haven't ended a second-tier league season with a victory since a 3-0 win over Bury in 1966-67 - they are winless in 13 since (D7 L6)"
Steve Evans will rebuild Rotherham in League One next season. The Millers have been desperately poor this season and their output in the final third has been hugely disappointing. It's been over a month since they scored a goal and although they are able to keep things tight, they lack the firepower to win this game.
Cardiff will concentrate on tying down Erol Bulut to a longer deal this summer. The Turkish boss has secured their status and made them incredibly effective from set-pieces. They will be aiming to end the season on a high, but they're unlikely to bust a gut.
Betfair Bet:
Stoke vs Bristol City
Low-scoring encounter in the Potteries
Opta Stat:
"Stoke have ended their league season with a win in seven of the last 10 seasons (D2 L1), though they lost 2-0 to Watford last season. They haven't suffered defeat in their final game in consecutive years since between 2008-09 and 2010-11"
Stoke are safe and can look forward to next season. Steven Schumacher has saved them from relegation although the jury remains out on his ability to take them to the next level. They're unbeaten in six of their last seven and have conceded just a single goal in their last three outings. They will be buoyed by last weekend's victory over Southampton and will fancy their chances of ending on a high.
Bristol City have been one of the form teams of 2024 and Liam Manning's team are incredibly tough to breach. They've shipped just two goals in their last seven and could be tough to break down once again.
Betfair Bet:
Sunderland vs Sheffield Wednesday
Forgettable affair for the hosts at the SOL
Opta Stat:
"Sheffield Wednesday need a point to guarantee safety in the Championship this season. They only won one of their opening 18 league matches this season (7 points, 0.39 points per game) but since the start of December they've picked up 43 points in 27 matches (1.59 points per game)"
Sunderland have been on Roker Beach for a number of weeks and they will be looking forward to the summer break. The Black Cats may not have been at their swashbuckling best recently, but they've been picking up points and keeping a number of clean sheets. They've conceded just twice in their last five outings and are unlikely to change that approach on Saturday.
Sheffield Wednesday need just a point to secure their safety, however, they look to have already done enough. The Owls have been far better at home this season, yet they're unbeaten in four of their last six on the road. They've taken something from each of their last five overall and will be competitive here.
Betfair Bet:
Leicester vs Blackburn
Rovers to secure a hard-earned point
Opta Stat:
"Blackburn Rovers have won their final league match in eight of the last 10 seasons (D1 L1) - across these 10 matches, both teams have found the net in each fixture whilst 49 goals have been scored in total at an average of 4.9 per game"
Blackburn have a great record on the final day of the season, yet this is a tough assignment for Rovers. John Eustace's side aren't quite safe yet, however, a point would be enough to preserve their Championship status.
Leicester were crowned champions after sweeping aside Preston on Monday night and although they will fancy their chances of beating another Lancastrian outfit, they do not need to collect three points. They may settle for a share of the spoils.
Betfair Bet:
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