EFL Championship final day: Live scores, team news and updates as Ipswich hold advantage of Leeds in race for final automatic promotion place and relegation battle goes to the wire

Birmingham City must be looking forlornly at Aston Villa’s fortunes, especially with their current plight.

This season started so promisingly, and it could end with devastation. Either way, it will be gut-wrenching.

One of Ipswich and Leeds will not go up automatically today, and that is such a shame.

Earning 90 points wins you the title most seasons. Last time Leeds went up in 2019-20, West Brom finished second on 83 points. They’ll be so unlucky if they don’t go up.

It’s been a great year of Championship football. Who are you backing?

Tom Collomosse followed Ipswich to Coventry on Tuesday, where Kieffer Moore and Cameron Burgess helped them to a tival 2-1 win.

What a loan signing Moore has been, by the way. He’s brought his brash, combative style to the side and scored seven times in 17 appearances.

Remind yourself of the action here.

Leeds face a stern test against Southampton today, who are already solidly in the play-offs and will want to drag Leedsin to the scrap with them.

Ipswich will be feeling optimistic as they meet Huddersfield, who are all but relegated.

Five teams are STILL involved in the relegation battle going into the final day – Birmingham, Plymouth, Sheffield Wednesday, Blackburn, and Huddersfield (just about).

Birmingham currently occupy the final relegation spot after a disastrous season.

Has their American ownership been a false dawn? They were sixth when they sacked John Eustace, but Wayne Rooney’s tenure saw the club plummet to 20th. Gary Rowett, appointed in March on an interim basis, is trying to save them from dropping into the third tier for the first time since 2002.

Plymouth are just a point above them, with Sheffield Wednesday and Blackburn three points above Birmingham. Birmingham will overtake Wednesday or Blackburn with a win if one of them loses due to goal difference.

Plymouth, three points from safety, would need results to go their way and a monumental goal difference swing to stay up.

The mood at Elland Road is less jubilant as fans know they need a miracle to go up – a Leeds win and an Ipswich loss.

Leeds start the day in third, three points behind Ipswich but with a superior goal difference. They’ll be hoping the upstarts slip up and give them a chance.

If Leeds do go up, it will be an immediate return to the Premier League under boss Daniel Farke, who has struggled to win over fans at times this season. All that will go out of the window if they seal an automatic promotion spot.

What a job Kieran McKenna has done at Ipswich, whatever happens today.

McKenna is aiming to bring Premier League football back to Portman Road for the first time since 2002.

Ipswich take on Huddersfield knowing that a draw will confirm their promotion, while their opponents come into the day just a point above the drop zone.

It has been an exhilarating rise since McKenna joined the Tractor Boys in December 2021 with the club 12th in League One. Can they win double promotion?

Good morning and welcome to Mail Sport’s live blog of the final day of the Championship season!

We’ve got an absolutely manic day lined up, with nine teams still fighting for their dreams, or whatever their dreams have been reduced to, be that automatic promotion, a play-off spot, or survival.

We’ll be across all 12 games for you with reporters at the major grounds of the day.