The 2017/18 season is coming to the end but the Sky Bet Championship is starting to heat up. Wolves are already announced as champions and will be in the Premier League. But second place is still up for grabs with Fulham and Cardiff City looking to return back to the top division. Who will join Wolves in automatic promotion on the final day?
EFL Championship Race for Promotion
Cardiff City
What a season Neil Warnock has had in Wales. At the start of the season, Cardiff would have just been considered as a mid-table side once again but now face the chance of being in Premier League. Even though Wolves ran away with the league, Cardiff were the only team to give them a fright from below as the Welsh side have rarely fallen outside the top three all campaign. Now you could say Cardiff’s style of play this season has been no way near Premier League standard throughout the past eight months. So can The Blue Birds handle the pressure and secure second place on the final weekend?
Cardiff have been one of most consistent sides in the Championship this campaign. However, going into the last match day, Fulham are breathing down their necks as both teams face relegation battlers. Neil Warnock’s men welcome Reading to The Cardiff City Stadium with both teams in need of three points. The Royals would still be safe in they lose and other results went the other way. However, due to the uncertainty, Reading are not likely to take a loss or a draw so it could be a tough match for both teams.
Fulham
Ryan Sessegnon, Alexander Mitrovic and Tom Cairney have the been main influences to Fulham’s success this season. Once again, the London side find themselves in the promotion mix as they hope to shrug off last season’s disappointment. Fulham currently sit third, one point behind Cardiff City but, based on form, Slaviša Jokanović’s men are 26 games unbeaten in the league and could nick second place off the Welsh side. Sessegnon has stolen the headlines this year with the 17-year-old scoring 15 goals and contributing six assists.
Fulham go to the West Midlands on Sunday as they face relegation strugglers Birmingham City. The Blues currently sit 20th, only two points above safety, with Burton and Bolton both chasing City’s tail. It is a huge game in Midlands and could define their future in 90 minutes as Birmingham would need a win to guarantee safety and Fulham need three points to have a chance if Cardiff slip-up. All the pressure will be on Cardiff to make sure they can get the three points whereas Fulham need to win and hope that Wales side will be bottling the automatic promotion spot.
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