Who finishes second in the Championship?

First, the marathon. Now, the final sprint. Three Championship teams remain in the race for automatic promotion to the Premier League.

After 45 matches, it all comes down to one final-day showdown to see who can go the distance to finish as runners-up and go up along with champions Coventry City.

For Ipswich Town, who occupy second spot before the last game on Saturday, 2 May, this is familiar territory as the Tractor Boys seek an instant return to the top flight.

Third-placed Millwall could be returning to the promised land for the first time in 36 years, while Middlesbrough, who are fourth, are looking to end a nine-year Premier League hiatus.

With these sides still dreaming of what might be, BBC Sport takes a look at who the pundits, fans and managers think will prevail.

Pundits – ‘Ipswich in driving seat but under pressure’

Only two points separate the three teams in contention for automatic promotion [Shutterstock]

Kieran McKenna has been here before.

On two occasions, his Ipswich side have gone into the final Saturday at Portman Road knowing a win would guarantee promotion – and it is the same scenario this weekend.

Once again, there will be an incredible welcome into the stadium and there is a strong belief that Town will get the job done.

But it does feel different this time.

This is, by and large, a new group of players – one that has cost tens of millions of pounds more than McKenna’s former heroes.

The narrative all season has been that this is a team that should go up, and one that will have failed if it does not.

There has, therefore, been a level of pressure that was not present during the previous run to the Premier League, and McKenna and his players have had to contend with that.

The football has been different, too. There have been some brilliant performances and results, but Town have also been a frustrating watch at times. It has certainly not been the gung-ho, swashbuckling approach of two years ago.

However, it is fair to say the team has improved throughout the course of the campaign and has put itself in a very strong position with one game left.

It should also be noted that the schedule has been demanding. Saturday’s fixture will be their eighth league game in less than a month, with five of those matchdays coming away from home.

But credit to the Blues – they are in the driving seat and it will be some Bank Holiday weekend if they finish the job.

Millwall last played in the top flight in 1990 – and have not reached the second tier play-offs since 2002 [Getty Images]

Tristan Crama climbs on Josh Coburn's back, with both wearing Millwall's navy blue home shirt and smiling after the win at Stoke — Millwall last played in the top flight in 1990 – and have not reached the second tier play-offs since 2002 [Getty Images]

I cannot wait to be there [at The Den]. It’s going to be special.

I don’t think it’s a question of “if”, it’s “when” Millwall are going to be promoted – either this season or next season.

They have a manager with know-how. When Neil Harris leaves you’ve got to take stock of where you are but they brought in Alex Neil, who’s had three promotions across Scotland and England.

He’s a smart cookie, he knows how to get the best out of squads.

He’s done it before, he’s got experience and I think that know-how is so, so key to what they want to do.

Ipswich host QPR, Millwall welcome Oxford and Middlesbrough travel to Wrexham on the final day [BBC]

And so Middlesbrough’s season comes down to this. A final day trip to Wrexham where only a win will do and even then, it may not be enough.

Boro find themselves only partly in control of their own destiny, knowing they need favours from Ipswich and Millwall if they are to snatch second place.

The fact they are in such a position is down to their recent collapse in form – a return of four points from a possible 21 between 11 March and 19 April – which means they’ve slipped to fourth in the table.

Wins in the past two games may have turned the tide though. Boro struggled to a 1-0 victory over Sheffield Wednesday and then walloped Watford 5-1, the latter performance in particular suggesting they may just be rediscovering the form that had many seasoned Championship observers predicting automatic promotion back in the winter.

It would be wrong to say Teesside expects promotion this weekend, but hope has returned and if, as seems likely, it’s to be the play-offs then reassurance can be found in the fact nobody will fancy facing Kim Hellberg’s side.

It’s been a season of huge highs and some dramatic lows so perhaps fate has one last twist in store this weekend?

Fans – ‘uneasy’, ‘blown it’ or ‘in the bag’?

Ipswich are hoping to play Premier League football for a second time in three seasons, having previously been outside the top flight for 22 years [PA Media]

Daniel, Ipswich fan: Surely we’ve got it in the bag. QPR are possibly the most ‘on the beach’ a team can be, I cannot see us not winning. Millwall and Boro have been outstanding this season, probably performed better than us, but unfortunately it seems like we’ve just edged it.

Andrew, Millwall fan: I hold out absolutely no hope whatsoever that QPR will do us a favour at Ipswich. QPR were on the beach when they played us and I’d expect something similar on Saturday.

Paul, Middlesbrough fan: We blew it a while back. Home games against weaker teams where we dropped points. Oxford and Pompey spring to mind. Those wins would’ve had us up.

James, Ipswich fan: I just have this uneasy feeling that Ipswich will lose against QPR whilst Boro and Millwall both win, thus putting Town in the play-offs where they will fall short. Hope to be proved wrong but Ipswich have a unique way of putting us through it!

Fozzie, Millwall fan: I hope Millwall finally get some last game luck – a win for Lions and draw for Ipswich. Having missed out on play-off places in recent years, we really need some good fortune.

If we don’t, we will look back at the home game against Blackburn as a major injustice. Very dodgy red card, which was overturned, strange refereeing decisions and three lost points. A good season could still turn out to be an amazing season.

Andy, Middlesbrough fan: I have to say that if you asked me eight months ago ‘Would Boro be in the play-offs?’ I’d have had your hand off! Retrospectively, I’d now say we have blown second place, but there’s a slim chance we can do it Saturday.

Proud to support the Boro, I feel we are the best team in the mix, just that spell without a win in seven killed us. I think Ipswich deserve second place on their recent form… But who knows.

Ian, Ipswich fan: If we play against QPR with the determination we showed v Saints we will be too strong for them. But if we fail we will not have the resistance to win the play-offs. Millwall will beat relegated Oxford and I fancy Wrexham to beat Boro.

Regardless, Saints look strong, they are the form team and will win the play-offs as they did two years ago.

Managers – ‘scream at the radio if you have to’

Middlesbrough have been in the top two for 35 of the 45 Championship matchdays [Getty Images]

Despite having the slimmest chance of the three sides involved, Middlesbrough manager Kim Hellberg has encouraged the fans to “try to enjoy it because that’s what you support the club for”.

“That’s why you play football. You try to be in those positions where you can achieve something and now we are in that position,” Hellberg told BBC Radio Tees.

“Bring everything. But also, I love when there’s a lot of emotions around it. There should be. That’s why we love this sport.

“Do everything you can with those emotions to try to bring the best Middlesbrough out and support in the way you can.

“If that’s cheering at the game or screaming at the radio or whatever it is, you do your best and we will do the same.”

Millwall manager Alex Neil said he will not be keeping track of results elsewhere on Saturday afternoon because there is “nothing we can do about it”.

“We know what we need to do, we need to go and win the match and that’s all I’m focused on. Whatever will happen at the end of the game will be what it is,” Neil told BBC Radio London.

“I think what we do need to do is make sure we don’t lose sight of the fact that we’ve made the play-offs as a club for the first time in 25 years.

“We’ve got the best away record in the league. We’ll have kept the most clean sheets in the league.

“There’s just so much to like about us this season that it’s been a remarkable year. But we want to have something to show for our efforts come the end of the year.

“For us to get promoted would be a remarkable achievement from everybody involved, but there’s a hell of a lot of work to be done between now and then.”

Alex Neil has won promotion twice as a manager, though both were via the play-offs [Getty Images]

Ipswich might have a 74% chance of automatic promotion, according to Opta’s prediction model, but Town boss Kieran McKenna is not getting ahead of himself.

“There are many, many examples across football of the last day throwing up different instances and different things can happen in the game that can rock your best laid plans,” McKenna told BBC Radio Suffolk.

“It’s going to be an absolutely wonderful atmosphere in our stadium. It’s the third time in four years that we’ve had a home game to try and get promoted.

“It’s not lost on us the fact that these are special times and they’re special times to enjoy, so we’re really excited for it.

“We want to go and deliver a big performance, a big result and enjoy what comes after. We’re desperate for everyone to achieve that this year and we know what it means to everyone.”

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