The EFL Championship is renowned for its thrilling and closely competitive fights for promotion to the Premier League. Sheffield United, Burnley and Leeds are all within two points of each other in the top three, however, the fight for fifth and sixth is a battle going under the radar. The tight nature of the Championship midtable means that the race for the latter playoff spots can sometimes stretch down to 12th. So who is in the mix for a spot in the playoffs this season? And is it the best playoff race in Championship history?

The Current Playoff Picture

The top four are all but guaranteed postseason football as Sunderland in fourth are 15 points ahead of seventh place. That leaves six points separating fifth and ninth, with Coventry, West Bromwich Albion, Middlesbrough, Bristol City and Watford all in strong contention.

Norwich City (10th, 52 points, +7 GD), Blackburn Rovers (11th, 52 points, +1 GD), Sheffield Wednesday (12th, 52 points, -6 GD), and Millwall (13th, 51 points, -3 GD) are all also just a few wins from the playoffs however with so many teams in front of them and inconsistent form, it would take a huge effort to see any of the current midtable make the top six come May.

There are seven games to go as of matchday 39, and therefore 21 points up for grabs. As always, who receives a shot at promotion will most likely not be determined until the final game, and each team has their own final set of fixtures to worry about ahead of the run in.

What an incredible play-off race we now have! It all went Boro's way today. Side note, Boro play Coventry last game of the season. Could it go down to the wire? #Boro #Championship pic.twitter.com/vM2bwSQrqn

— Shaun Rye ✍️ (@ShaunyRye) March 29, 2025

The Run In

Frank Lampard and Coventry City are in the best position, two points ahead of the rest, and it is in their hands with a favourable remaining set of fixtures. Fixtures against three of the bottom five (Luton, Plymouth and Hull) take the pressure off having to perhaps win huge six-pointers against West Brom and Middlesbrough. West Brom, on the other hand, face four straight games against teams in the top nine, but if they can make it through that patch unscathed, the Baggies have a favourable run, finishing off with games against Cardiff, Derby and Luton.

Middlesbrough arguably have the hardest final seven, with six of those games against teams in the top half. Goal difference also often comes into play; Bristol City and Watford have inferior totals compared to Middlesbrough and West Brom, meaning that 1-0 wins might not be enough. The Robins and Hornets both have similar schedules and face off this weekend in a clash that could chronically damage one of the sides’ playoff hopes.

Has a Playoff Race Ever Been so Close?

The answer is yes, there are even recent examples a matter of points separating teams after 46 games. Take the 2022/23 campaign as an example, four points separated Coventry in fifth and Swansea in 10th. Blackburn missed out on sixth place due to goal difference and were a single point behind fifth, and Millwall also narrowly missed out, just two points off the top six.

In 2019/20, Nottingham Forest missed out on one of those sacred playoff spots by a single goal difference. Taking it back ten years now, three teams finished on 78 points in the 2014/15 season, Wolverhampton Wanderers missed out with a goal difference of +14 and Derby County, just one point behind the others, had a staggering goal difference of +29. Finally, Cardiff City took it a step further in 2008/09, with the same goal difference and points as Preston North End in sixth, the Bluebirds incredibly missed out due to scoring just one less goal.

What to Expect and Final Verdict

The Championship run-in is the most exciting segment of the season, especially final day action. Many of the top half teams are yet to play each other in a playoff race that should be watched closely. Often there is a significant gap between the top six and the rest, but this season there will be hardly anything between fifth and ninth.

If you look back at the last 12 league games, the top six over that period are the current top five plus Bristol City. Based off form dating back over the last couple of months, as well as a decent set of final fixtures, it would not be a surprise to see Coventry and Bristol make the cut. However, even if they are to do so, the top four await, providing the biggest challenge yet and one that most believe is almost impossible to overcome.