The Championship campaign is just two games from the halfway point with Sheffield United in the thick of the automatic promotion battle while Sheffield Wednesday sit five points outside the play-offs after 21 games.
The Blades are three points clear at the top of the table after a 2-0 win over Plymouth Argyle at Bramall Lane, as they made the most of Leeds United’s dramatic 1-1 draw at Preston North End. The Owls moved up to ninth after coming from a goal down to beat Oxford United 3-1, in what proved to be Des Buckingham’s final game in charge of the U’s as he was sacked less than 24 hours after the defeat.
Reflecting on United’s most recent win, manager Chris Wilder said: “Our quality wasn’t very good and we kept giving the ball away cheaply. No excuses, we weren’t great in that first half. We felt a lot more comfortable in the second half. There wasn’t any complacency or arrogance from us; I feel we had the better moments without being totally over the line until we got the penalty. We were never completely safe. Michael (Cooper) has had to make a big save from the header, he delivered for us when he was needed. It was also a terrific performance and goal from Gustavo (Hamer).”
Discussing Wednesday’s victory, Owls boss Danny Rohl reflected: “It shows one thing and that’s about the mentality, how strong we are if we keep going. It shows as well that we are not able at the moment to have clean sheets away and that’s a part of the game we can improve. But to win 3-1 is great to see. A big, big credit to my team. The win was very well deserved. We conceded a goal after a second ball situation from a set piece, then they had a big chance for 2-0 and then we came slowly but step by step into the game.”
So what are the Blades’ chances of claiming automatic promotion into the Premier League and what hopes to do the Owls’ have of breaking into the top six? We take a look at the latest predicted finishes for clubs across the Championship with the help of JeffBet‘s supercomputer.
1. Relegated: Plymouth Argyle
Predicted points: 37 | Getty Images Photo: Gareth Copley/Getty Images
