Updated Championship play-off race: How Millwall get in, predicted table and permutations for final day
A look at the play-off race, permutations and the predicted table as Millwall battle to sneak in.
Millwall still have hope aplenty of reaching the play-offs heading into their final game of the season. The Lions picked up a big win over Swansea City over the weekend, and with Coventry City losing elsewhere, they are now just goal difference from the top six.
Alex Neil’s men have fought tooth and nail to remain in the top six race, and while they have it tough for the last game of the season, facing Burnley, they go into that game with a genuine opportunity of making it in, and that alone will be seen as real success. Here we take a look at the play-off race and how the Lions can sneak in.
Play-off permutations - How do Millwall get in?
Millwall are currently in seventh place, goal difference behind Coventry City in sixth and one point behind Bristol City in fifth. They are one point ahead of Blackburn Rovers and two ahead of Middlesbrough.
While the Lions could theoretically get in with a draw, the likelihood of at least one of the two teams below them means they will effectively be obliged to win their final game against Burnley to get in, with their goal difference doing them no favours. Millwall are four goals behind Coventry and Bristol City, while Blackburn are five ahead and Middlesbrough 10 goals ahead.
To extend their season, Millwall need to better the result of Coventry City while also bettering the result of Middlesbrough and Blackburn Rovers, or they can also move ahead of Bristol City while winning and the Robins losing.
Predicted table
According to OPTA’s predicted table, Millwall’s current momentum is not enough to get them into the top six. The data specialists predict that Bristol City will wrap up fifth place with 68 points and Coventry City in sixth with 67 points. Millwall actually expected to lose their last game, against Burnley, expected to finish on 66 points.
What Alex Neil has said
Millwall boss Alex Neil said after Millwall’s big win over Swansea City to keep their playoff dreams alive: “I’ll be honest with you, it wasn’t my most enjoyable ninety minutes,” Neil said. “I think we can play better. That’s the first thing. But, certainly first half, we had numerous opportunities to score and we did, but equally to score more goals.
“You could sense the nervous tension in the stadium. I thought the fans were in fine voice and brilliant, and I think in a certain way that really helped us. But in another way, it meant that we lacked a little of composure in terms of taking the first passes and releasing the ball quicker. I think it’s difficult when you’re a player in those moments because you can’t hear yourself think. So [getting] information to each other becomes a bit a problem at that stage. But let’s be honest, today was all about getting the result and getting closer to giving ourself an opportunity and a chance for next week. I believe the results have went in our favour again.
“But as I say every week, if we don’t do it, the rest of it doesn’t really matter. So we’ve known that we’ve had to do that. We’ve just beat a team that’s won five in a row in the league. So it’s certainly not any small feat what we’ve done over the last twelve games or whatever it may be. I’m just extremely proud of the players in terms of what they’ve offered up. I’m not naive. I know we’re going to have to play better than that next week if we want a result. But when you look at what we’ve done as in a whole, then I think it’s been extremely impressive.”
What Frank Lampard has said
Speaking after his side’s surprise defeat to Luton Town, Coventry City boss Lampard said: “This is football, by the way. I played football for a long time and everyone sees the glory days and the lifting of the cups but people forget the suffering, the losing and then the recovering and resilience and all those things as a sports person.
“We wouldn’t be able to go from 17th and cruise into the play-offs. It’s impossible from where we were. So from that little bit of suffering now and after Plymouth a little bit, it’s normal. We have to try to win the last game to get the objective.”