EFL Championship play off power rankings as Premier League spot eyed

View 3 Images

The Championship playoffs kick off this week, with four sides battling it out to earn a spot in the Premier League . Millwall , Southampton , Middlesbrough and Hull City will clash in the end-of-season tournament, with the victor claiming a much-desired spot in the top flight and of course the riches that go with it.

Three of the sides have previously been in the Premier League, Southampton the most recent. Saints will be aiming to secure an instant return following their impressive run of form under Tonda Eckert.

Middlesbrough have been in the upper reaches of the table all season long and just stumbled at the final hurdle. Hull have impressed and snatched the final playoff place on the final day.

The final team gunning for a spot in the Premier League is Millwall. The Londoners have not been in the top flight of English football since 1990 so will be aiming to end that long wait.

But how do all of the contenders rank ahead of the playoffs getting underway? Mirror Football takes a look:

JOIN US ON FACEBOOK! Latest news, analysis and much more on Mirror Football's Facebook page

It’s a cliche but momentum is everything when it comes to the playoffs and Southampton have plenty of it. Since Eckert’s appointment, Saints have been one of the best sides in the Championship.

Southampton’s only defeats since the turn of the year have come against fellow playoff sides Middlesbrough and Hull, as well as an FA Cup loss at the hands of Manchester City .

The South Coast side have a number of quality players including Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Shea Charles, Leo Scienza and Finn Azaz and stand as the favourites ahead of their semi-final clash with Middlesbrough.

View 3 Images

After Rob Edwards’ departure in November, Middlesbrough’s season was expected to fall away. But if anything, they got even better under Kim Hellberg.

Middlesbrough have not dropped as low as eighth all season and sat in the top two for the majority of the campaign. But a late-season stumble saw a challenge for automatic promotion falter.

Their streaky form could come in handy in the playoffs should they get on the right track or they could struggle to get going. Given how impressive they’ve been all season, they should be up there among the favourites.

Some would argue that Millwall should be the favourites to earn promotion given the way their regular season ended. The Lions finished in third and just a point behind Ipswich.

They also won more games than all of their playoff rivals, conceding fewer goals than all of them. But they could fall down in a couple of places.

Millwall only scored 64 Championship goals all season, considerably fewer than their rivals. They also sit on the back foot when it comes to recent playoff experience which could see them edged out.

View 3 Images

Having only just escaped relegation from the Championship last term, not many backed the Tigers to put together a push for promotion. But Sergej Jakirović's side just about got over the line on the last day to seal a playoff place.

The reason they’re at the bottom of the list is down to their defence. Hull shipped 66 goals in the league this season, seven more than relegated Oxford United.

Those defensive issues do not really lend themselves to tournament football. Unlike Southampton, they’re struggling for form, having won just one of their last seven games.

Prediction: Southampton to be promoted

Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.