The race for the Championship play-offs could well go down to the wire.
Bristol City sit just two points off sixth-placed Preston North End, with the Robins set to play host to their play-off rivals on the last game of the season.
Yet it is not just between City and Preston - with six points separating seven teams, there is a lot to play for in the final 10 matches of the season.
| Place | Club | Goals scored | Goal difference | Points |
| 5 | Brentford | 59 | 26 | 57 |
| 6 | Preston North End | 49 | 7 | 56 |
| 7 | Bristol City | 50 | -2 | 54 |
| 8 | Blackburn Rovers | 52 | 10 | 53 |
| 9 | Swansea City | 46 | 1 | 52 |
| 10 | Millwall | 41 | 1 | 51 |
| 11 | Cardiff City | 50 | 0 | 51 |
It is so tight that it is not impossible that teams will finish on the same number of points, which means goal difference, followed by goals scored, would be used to rank teams.
But what if teams finish with the same goal difference and the same amount of goals scored? It's not unforseeable.
Brentford in fifth have a the second biggest goal difference in the league with 26, which should give them precedence should they finish on the same amount of points as other teams.
Yet, from Preston in sixth down to Cardiff City in 11th, each of these teams' goal difference are not radically different.
Bristol City have the worst goal difference out of this pack with -2, but, should their attack click, and they start to score more freely in the final 10 matches, that is possible to improve.
Blackburn Rovers have the best goal difference of 10, which shows that there is not a huge amount separating each of these sides.
The Robins have scored 50 goals, which is one more than Preston but two less than Blackburn, so it is not unfeasible to see the sides in the play-offs have a similar record going into the final few games of the season.
So, with it being close, something other than goal difference and goals scored may be used to separate teams.
Our colleagues at Stoke-on-Trent Live have compiled the different ways clubs are separated in the Championship - and it makes for interesting reading.
Here are the rules, in order of precedence, for how clubs will be separated.
- Points
- Goal difference
- Goals scored
- Respective league record against each other: taking into account order of precedence points, goal difference, goals scored
- Number of wins
- Goals scored in away games
- Lowest number of total penalty points
- Lowest number of sending off offences which attract 12 penalty points
- Play-off
Remaining fixtures in the Championship play-off battle
Brentford
Brentford vs Sheffield Wednesday
Fulham vs Brentford
Brentford vs West Brom
Reading vs Brentford
Brentford vs Wigan Athletic
Brentford vs Charlton Athletic
Derby County vs Brentford
Brentford vs Preston North End
Stoke City vs Brentford
Brentford vs Barnsley
Preston North End
Preston vs QPR
Luton Town vs Preston
Preston vs Cardiff City
Preston vs Derby County
Huddersfield vs Preston
Sheffield Wednesday vs Preston
Preston vs Nottingham Forest
Brentford vs Preston
Preston vs Birmingham
Bristol City vs Preston
Bristol City
Bristol City vs Fulham
Blackburn Rovers vs Bristol City
Bristol City vs Sheffield Wednesday
Nottingham Forest vs Bristol City
Bristol City vs Cardiff City
Bristol City vs Hull City
Middlesbrough vs Bristol City
Bristol City vs Stoke City
Swansea City vs Bristol City
Bristol City vs Preston North End
Blackburn Rovers
Derby County vs Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers vs Bristol City
Wigan Athletic vs Blackburn Rovers
Barnsley vs Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers vs Leeds United
Cardiff City vs Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers vs West Brom
Millwall vs Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers vs Reading
Luton Town vs Blackburn Rovers
Swansea City
Swansea City vs West Brom
Middlesbrough vs Swansea City
Swansea City vs Luton Town
Millwall vs Swansea City
Swansea City vs Sheffield Wednesday
Birmingham City vs Swansea City
Swansea City vs Leeds United
Nottingham Forest vs Swansea City
Swansea City vs Bristol City
Reading vs Swansea City
Millwall
Nottingham Forest vs Millwall
Millwall vs Derby County
Barnsley vs Millwall
Millwall vs Swansea City
Charlton Athletic vs Millwall
Millwall vs Middlesbrough
Hull City vs Millwall
Millwall vs Blackburn Rovers
QPR vs Millwall
Millwall vs Huddersfield Town
Cardiff City
Barnsley vs Cardiff City
Cardiff City vs Leeds United
Preston North End vs Cardiff City
Cardiff City vs Charlton Athletic
Bristol City vs Cardiff City
Cardiff City vs Blackburn Rovers
Fulham vs Cardiff City
Cardiff City vs Derby County
Middlesbrough vs Cardiff City
Cardiff City vs Hull City
