Championship playoffs: Southampton backed for top six as Opta Supercomputer deals Wrexham promotion blow
Championship promotion-chasers Southampton are now being backed to finish in the top six after their win over Norwich City on Wednesday night.
Southampton extended their recent unbeaten run to 13 games with a 1-0 victory over fellow high-flyers Norwich at St Mary’s in midweek.
Finn Azaz’s 24th-minute strike gave the Saints a vital three points in their quest to return to the Premier League, and lifted them into the top six for the first time since August.
They leapfrogged Wrexham into the playoff places after their 3-1 loss to Watford at Vicarage Road on Tuesday night.
Southampton now have eight games to make sure they pick up more points than the Red Dragons and finish in the top six, with Opta now backing them to do exactly that.
Opta back Southampton to make the Championship playoffs this season
Southampton suffered a turbulent return to the second tier under new boss Will Still, and Football Insider revealed that under-21’s boss Tonda Eckert was set to be appointed to the role of permanent first-team manager in December after a decent interim spell.
He has won 17 and lost just five of his 28 games in charge so far, and was named the Championship Manager of the Month for February after his team picked up 13 points from a possible 15.
| Games managed | Wins | Draws | Losses | Goals for | Goals against | Points per game |
| 28 | 17 | 6 | 5 | 48 | 29 | 1.92 |
Following the Saints’ win against Norwich, Opta are now projecting them to finish sixth in the Championship, with a 69.46 per cent chance of doing so, compared to Wrexham’s 33.88 per cent.
The closest predicted challengers include Derby, who are 12.66 per cent likely to make the top six, as well as Watford (4.10 per cent) and Birmingham (1.76 per cent).
| Club | Top 6 Probability | Auto-Promotion (Top 2) | Current Form (Last 5) |
| Southampton | 69.46% | 8.12% | W-W-D-W-W |
| Wrexham | 33.88% | 2.04% | L-W-L-D-L |
| Derby County | 12.66% | 0.88% | W-D-L-W-D |
| Watford | 4.10% | <0.1% | W-L-W-D-W |
Who is predicted to win automatic promotion from the Championship?
Coventry have raced clear at the top of the Championship once again in the last few weeks, and Opta now believe they have a 99.1 per cent chance of sealing automatic promotion this season.
Ipswich, Middlesbrough and Millwall remain in the hunt for second place, but it is the former that are being predicted to follow Coventry to the Premier League, with a 43.64 per cent chance of making the top two.
Boro have a 43.26 per cent chance as it stands, while Millwall are a way behind with a 13.18 per cent chance of finishing in the top two.
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