BURNLEY, UNITED KINGDOM – MAY 02: Sam Vokes (9) and Andre Gray of Burnley (7) celebrate as they are promoted to the Premier League after the Sky Bet Championship match between Burnley and Queens Park Rangers at Turf Moor on May 2, 2016 in Burnley, United Kingdom. Burnley defeated QPR 1-0 to gain promotion. (Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images)

Middlesbrough vs. Brighton for final automatic Championship promotion spot, Burnley promotes

There’s a case to be made for the Premier League being the world’s most competitive league from top to bottom. One tier below, the Championship might be one of the toughest leagues to escape.

Twenty-four teams, many with Premier League budgets, playing a 46-match schedule — eight more than the EPL teams have to navigate — can be quite a grind.

The prize for running that gauntlet is a place in the top flight next season, and a share of the world’s most lucrative TV deal.

Here’s a look at where things stand heading into the final weekend of the Championship schedule:

The table:

Team Pts P W D L GF GA Diff.
1 Burnley 90 45 25 15 5 69 35 34
2 Middlesbrough 88 45 26 10 9 62 30 32
3 Brighton 88 45 24 16 5 71 41 30
4 Hull 80 45 23 11 11 64 34 30
5 Derby 78 45 21 15 9 66 42 24
6 Sheffield Wednesday 74 45 19 17 9 65 43 22
7 Cardiff 67 45 17 16 12 55 50 5
8 Ipswich 66 45 17 15 13 52 51 1
9 Birmingham 62 45 16 14 15 52 48 4
10 Brentford 62 45 18 8 19 67 66 1
11 Preston 61 45 15 16 14 44 44 0
12 Leeds 58 45 14 16 15 49 57 -8
13 QPR 57 45 13 18 14 53 54 -1
14 Wolverhampton 55 45 13 16 16 51 57 -6
15 Blackburn 52 45 12 16 17 43 45 -2
16 Reading 52 45 13 13 19 51 56 -5
17 Nottingham 52 45 12 16 17 41 46 -5
18 Bristol C. 52 45 13 13 19 54 70 -16
19 Huddersfield 51 45 13 12 20 58 65 -7
20 Rotherham 49 45 13 10 22 52 66 -14
21 Fulham 48 45 11 15 19 65 79 -14
22 Charlton 40 45 9 13 23 40 77 -37
23 MK Dons 39 45 9 12 24 38 67 -29
24 Bolton 30 45 5 15 25 41 80 -39

Who’s going up?: Burnley, relegated from the Premier League after last season, has already clinched a place in the EPL for next season. The Clarets also have the inside track on the title, with a two-point lead over Middlesbrough and Brighton.

Burnley visits already-relegated Charlton while the second- and third-place teams meet in a critical match (Saturday, 7:25 ET, Bein Sports).

The hosts, Middlesbrough, need only a draw to secure the other automatic promotion spot, thanks to its superior goal difference. Boro can still win the title if it wins and Burnley loses. A Burnley draw, coupled with a Boro win, would put both teams on 91 points. Burnley currently has a two-goal edge in goal difference, which is the first tiebreaker.

Brighton must win to clinch promotion Saturday. The Seagulls can also win the title with a victory and a Burnley loss, or a victory and a Burnley draw — assuming it can make up a four-goal deficit in goal difference.

Goal scored is the next tiebreaker, if you’re wondering.

Who’s in the playoffs, and what does that mean?: Either Middlesbrough or Brighton will be joined in the playoffs by the teams finishing fourth, fifth and sixth in the table. The order isn’t set yet, but Hull City, Derby County and Sheffield Wednesday will be those teams.

Either Middlesbrough or Brighton will face Sheffield Wednesday in one home-and-home tie while Hull City and Derby County play in the other.

The winners play at Wembley Stadium on May 28, with the final place in next season’s Premier League hanging in the balance.

Who’s going down?: Usually, the final day of the Championship features some drama at the bottom of the table, but this year, Charlton, MK Dons and Bolton are already destined to drop down to League One.

About Randy Capps

South Carolina native, Fulham apologist, writer and sports fanatic.

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