Plenty of important match-ups on both ends of the table over the Championship’s next two matchdays coming up this weekend.
We are officially 40 matchweeks into the 2025-26 Championship season. Just seven games remaining (eight for Ipswich Town and Portsmouth) to see who will play in each of the first three tiers of English football come August.
Coventry City have restored their nine-point gap at the top of the table, with Middlesbrough recently slipping. Ipswich could climb up to second and reduce Frank Lampard’s side’s lead to eight points. Millwall, Hull City and Southampton complete the top-six, with Wrexham and Derby County closing in.
| Position | Team | MP | W | D | L | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coventry | 39 | 24 | 8 | 7 | 80 |
| 2 | Middlesbrough | 39 | 20 | 11 | 8 | 71 |
| 3 | Ipswich | 38 | 19 | 12 | 7 | 69 |
| 4 | Millwall | 39 | 20 | 9 | 10 | 69 |
| 5 | Hull | 39 | 20 | 6 | 13 | 66 |
| 6 | Southampton | 39 | 17 | 12 | 10 | 63 |
| 7 | Wrexham | 39 | 17 | 12 | 10 | 63 |
| 8 | Derby | 39 | 17 | 9 | 13 | 60 |
At the other end, Sheffield Wednesday have already been relegated. Oxford United and Leicester City are the other teams in the bottom-three, while Portsmouth, West Bromwich Albion and Blackburn Rovers try to avoid falling into the relegation zone.
| Position | Team | MP | W | D | L | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 | Blackburn | 39 | 11 | 10 | 18 | 43 |
| 20 | West Brom | 39 | 11 | 10 | 18 | 43 |
| 21 | Portsmouth | 38 | 10 | 10 | 18 | 40 |
| 22 | Leicester | 39 | 11 | 12 | 16 | 39 |
| 23 | Oxford | 39 | 9 | 12 | 18 | 39 |
| 24 | Sheff Wed | 39 | 1 | 9 | 29 | -6 |
Here are the six most important games of the upcoming slates over Easter weekend.
Middlesbrough vs Millwall
Friday (3rd), 12.30am
Riverside Stadium
Good Friday will present us with all 11 games. Southampton vs Ipswich will take place at a later date date, since the Saints will play Arsenal in the FA Cup on the 4th.
The first one, in fact, could be the pick of the bunch. The early kick-off between Boro and Millwall at the Riverside is as big as it gets.
Kim Hellberg’s men won five in a row and actually took first place from Coventry back in February. Since then, however, they have won just twice – and none of their last three.
Millwall are in a two-match winless run of their own. But an away win here would take the Lions momentarily up to second in the table as they still chase automatic promotion.
It’s also the chance for Boro to keep a distance to Ipswich and hope the Tractor Boys lose points along the way to retain second place.
Coventry City vs Derby County
Friday (3rd), 8pm
CBS Arena
Friday’s late kick-off will also be a big game. Two teams fighting for a place in the Premier League – though with considerable distance.
Twenty points separate both sides, but it’s still a top-quality match-up. And, like Boro-Millwall, a match between a ball-dominant team and one that likes to go long and hit opponents on the counter.
There’s also the Frank Lampard factor – the former midfielder nearly went up with the Rams in 2018-19 before joining Chelsea for his first stint.
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Derby have actually won half their points away from home. Considering the style, any game is an away game for John Eustace. But his tactics have once again been proven solid and reliable at Championship level.
Though it may seem like the Sky Blues have nearly guaranteed their spot in next season’s Premier League, they have gone through rough spells recently. So it’s the opportunity for them to dismiss the possibilities of them returning. They have won seven of their last nine and are in good position.
As for the Rams, they are better as underdogs – and also away from home. They have won four of their last five and will look to frustrate Lampard’s men at the CBS Arena.
Derby need a win to keep the fight for the top-six open and not join the likes of Watford, Norwich and Birmingham – who have increasingly less hopes of playing more than 46 games this season.
Portsmouth vs Oxford United
Monday (6th), 12.30pm
Fratton Park
Going into MW41, Monday’s early kick-off is also a big one – but at the other end of the table. It’s a battle between the first team out of the relegation zone and second-bottom.
However, their forms suggest it should be the other way around. Portsmouth are safe for now, but haven’t won in six games, a run that includes five defeats – the latest of which was a 1-6 thrashing against Queens Park Rangers.
John Mousinho has kept his job, but has no momentum going to his favour. Meanwhile Oxford went on a three-game winning streak between the end of February and the start of March. They followed it up with a draw against Charlton and an away loss to Southampton, which is no demerit.
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Their squad leaves a lot to be desired, but Matt Bloomfield has them putting up an honourable fight.
Leicester City will be paying close attention to a possible draw between both sides. The Foxes will face Preston North End and Sheffield Wednesday over Easter weekend and could come out of it out of the bottom-three.
Blackburn Rovers vs West Bromwich Albion
Monday (6th), 3pm
Riverside Stadium
Another huge game between relegation battlers is Blackburn vs West Brom. They are the safest teams among the more endangered sides, sitting 19th and 20th, respectively. Both are tied on 43 points, five behind Charlton in 18th.
There is also huge controversy surrounding this game. Northern Ireland boss Michael O’Neill is currently working two jobs, having taken charge of Blackburn in February. Baggies fans are worried that he could tire out Isaac Price in the international break, leaving him unfit for the upcoming Championship fixtures.
The Rovers somehow won four points out of their last two games, against Millwall (away win) and Middlesbrough (home draw). They will look to carry their form into this final stretch of the season.
West Brom have improved massively under former player James Morrison and have won their last two. It was a nice sight for their fans after enduring a miserable short spell under Eric Ramsay, who failed to win any of his nine games in charge across all competitions.
Hull City vs Coventry City
Monday (6th), 8pm
MKM Stadium
Another late kick-off involving Coventry and a play-off-contending side. This time it’s Hull away.
This could be, in theory, the most entertaining game of the season. Coventry and Hull rank first and second, respectively, in terms of goals scored and conceded.
The Sky Blues have scored 81 and conceded 40 (121), while the Tigers have scored 62 and conceded 57 (119). Let’s hope for a goal fest when both sides meet at the MKM.
Hull are fifth and have been in the top-six for a few months, but are still not guaranted in the play-offs. They have been rather hit-and-miss lately, either winning (4) or losing (5) each of their last nine games. No in-betweens.
On a more recent note, however, they have lost four of their last five and have seen a drop in performances. With Southampton on the up, Wrexham still looking for a way in and Derby as outsiders, it’s a decisive moment for the Tigers.
Wrexham vs Southampton
Tuesday (7th), 8pm
Racecourse Ground
Speaking of which, we will have a battle between the current 6th and 7th-placed sides in Tuesday’s only game to close out the Easter weekend.
Wrexham will have an extra day of rest, set to play West Brom away on the 3rd while the Saints host Arsenal on the 4th in the FA Cup. Tonda Eckert’s team selection is also an interesting story to look out for in the cup tie, considering their league situation and aspirations.
The reverse fixture saw Southampton win in dramatic fashion back in August. It was matchweek 1 and Will Still’s official debut in charge of the Saints. They went 0-1 down in the first half but scored two goals in stoppage time to win all three points.
Eckert’s men are the most in-form team in the division, unbeaten in their last 12 league games (14 across all competitions) as well as having won each of the last three.
Wrexham, on the other hand, have lost a bit of momentum since the heartbreaking (and possibly undeserved) loss to Chelsea in the FA Cup. Two wins and two losses from their last four in the Championship saw them fall out of the play-off spots.
But this could be their chance to reclaim sixth place from the exact team that took it from them.