Supercomputer predicts Bristol City and play-off rivals' last-day results and final league table

Bristol City and Liam Manning have just one more match to book their place in the Championship play-off places this seasonBristol City are a win away from confirming their play-off spot(Image: Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images)

It all comes down to this. After 45 Championship matches, Bristol City have just one game remaining in their regular Championship schedule as they look to book their place in the top six and keep the dream of promotion to the Premier League alive.

Although Monday evening’s defeat to Leeds United at Elland Road served as a bit of a reminder that the job is not yet done, Liam Manning’s side remain the team in the driving seat heading into the final weekend of the campaign.

The Reds weren’t the only side to drop points over the weekend. Coventry City slipped to a 1-0 loss against Luton Town at Kenilworth Road while Middlesbrough were held to a 0-0 draw by Jack Wilshere’s Norwich City. However, both Blackburn Rovers and Millwall picked up maximum points against Watford and Swansea City respectively to thrust themselves back into contention.

Ahead of Saturday’s fixtures, City sit fifth in the Championship, a single point clear of Coventry City in sixth place and two ahead of seventh-placed Millwall and eighth-placed Blackburn. Boro are ninth, and are currently two points adrift of the top six with a trip to the CBS Arena still to come this weekend.

Everything is well and truly in the balance with just 90 minutes of football still to be played but for the Robins, the task has arguably never been simpler. Beat Preston and not only is your place in the play-offs secured, but you’re also guaranteed to finish fifth. Simple, eh?

Experience shows that you should never try to predict the Championship but we’ve done exactly that. Bristol Live have used a supercomputer provided by Football Web Pages to simulate the remainder of the season and provide a final league table. Obviously, things very rarely go according to plan in England’s second tier so the results of this prediction should of course be taken with more than a pinch of salt.

With all of that in mind, here is how the table is expected to look when the full-time whistle is blown around the country this weekend…

10th: Middlesbrough – 64pts, +9GD

It would be safe to say Middlesbrough have never quite managed to find the gear needed to really put their stamp on this season’s top six race and according to this prediction, that is likely to come back to bite Michael Carrick’s men at the end of the campaign.

Michael Carrick and Middlesbrough made big changes in January(Image: Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images)

Boro are expected to be beaten by fellow play-off hopefuls Coventry City in their final game of the term and in turn, finish five points adrift of the top six. While anything can happen in the Championship, Carrick’s side have picked up just four points from their last five matches and from an outsider’s perspective, it looks like the immense turnover of players in January may have derailed their campaign slightly.

If this prediction is correct, the fact that Bristol City beat Middlesbrough at both the Riverside and Ashton Gate this season would prove imperative to not only the Robins’ success but also to stopping Boro’s play-off push.

9th: West Brom – 64pts, +10GD

Despite being in and around the play-off places for so much of the campaign, West Brom are heading into their final day of the season clash with Luton Town knowing that no matter what happens, their season will be done come the full-time whistle on Saturday afternoon.

Still, the supercomputer expects the Baggies to get the better of the Hatters at The Hawthorns and in turn, leapfrog Middlesbrough to finish ninth on goal difference. Of course, it can’t be considered a successful season for Albion but they’ll still be looking to finish with a win under the temporary stewardship of James Morrison.

8th: Blackburn Rovers – 65pts, +4GD

Where exactly have Blackburn Rovers come from in the last few weeks? When we last published one of these supercomputer predictions, we had pretty much written Rovers off given the slow start to Valerien Ismael era at Ewood Park. However, four consecutive wins have well and truly thrust them right back into contention.

Valerien Ismael has had a mixed start to life at Blackburn(Image: Photo by Rich Linley – CameraSport via Getty Images)

In that run, Rovers have picked up important scalps against the likes of Luton, at Kenilworth Road, Millwall and Sunderland. They are one of the division’s form sides heading into the final day but their fixtures don’t get any easier as they finish the season with a trip to Bramall Lane to face Sheffield United.

Although the Blades have very little to play for, the supercomputer expects them to get the better of Ismael’s side and, in turn, ensure they fall just a couple of points short of the top six. That poor run of form early in the Frenchman’s tenure could well prove definitive.

7th: Millwall – 66pts, -1GD

A bit like Blackburn Rovers, Millwall have almost come from nowhere to emerge as a true play-off contender in the second half of the season. Alex Neil has done a fabulous job since arriving at The Den and five wins from the Lions’ last six matches have ensured they’re heading into the weekend with a real chance of sneaking into the top six.

However, as far as final-day fixtures come, Millwall couldn’t have it much harder. Neil’s side head to Turf Moor to face Premier League-bound Burnley. The Clarets haven’t lost at home in the league all season and will likely need a win to have any hope of beating Leeds United to the title.

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It will take something really special to end Scott Parker’s side’s incredible unbeaten run. If the Lions pull that off, they will more than deserve a place in the top six but the supercomputer expects them to return from Turf Moor empty-handed and therefore, come up just short.

6th: Coventry City – 69pts, +5GD

It feels like for the last month or so, Coventry City and Bristol City have almost been neck and neck in the play-off race. When the Robins took a huge step forward with their late win over West Brom, the Sky Blues did the same against Portsmouth. When the Reds slipped up against Luton Town on Easter Monday, Frank Lampard’s side did the same away to Plymouth Argyle.

Although Coventry come into the final day with just one win in their last four matches, the supercomputer expects them to get over the line with a win over Middlesbrough.

Should that prediction be correct, the Sky Blues will face off against Sheffield United in the play-off semi-finals, with the first leg to be played at the CBS Arena and the second at Bramall Lane.

5th: Bristol City – 70pts, +6GD

Let’s get the caveats out of the way early on here. Firstly, this is just a prediction. Try as we might, we don’t have a crystal ball with which we can peer into the future and see what Saturday holds. Secondly, history suggests Bristol City very rarely go about these things the simple way. Thirdly, if the rest of the supercomputer’s predictions are correct, the Reds will finish in the top six regardless of the result against Preston North End.

Liam Manning celebrates after Bristol City’s win over Sunderland(Image: Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)

With all that admin out of the way, Liam Manning’s side are expected to get the better of Paul Heckingbottom’s relegation-threatened side at Ashton Gate on Saturday lunchtime to not only secure their place in the top six for the first time in 17 years but also guarantee themselves a fifth-placed finish.

The Robins’ record on their own patch so far this term has been impressive and while they come into this weekend’s game off of the back of two defeats, they have only lost once at home in the league since the turn of the year. Let’s be clear, we’re not trying to tempt fate here/ We’re just laying out the facts.

Should this prediction be correct, firstly there will be a lot of sore heads in Bristol on Sunday morning and secondly, City would face Sunderland in the play-off semi-finals. The first leg would be played at Ashton Gate with the second at the Stadium of Light.

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Supercomputer predicted final Championship table in full

1st: Burnley – 100pts, +52gd

2nd: Leeds United – 98pts, +64gd

3rd: Sheffield United – 92pts, +28gd

4th: Sunderland – 79pts, +16gd

5th: Bristol City – 70pts, +6gd

6th: Coventry City – 69pts, +5gd

7th: Millwall – 66pts, -1gd

8th: Blackburn Rovers – 65pts, +4gd

9th: West Brom – 64pts, +10gd

10th: Middlesbrough – 64pts, +9gd

11th: Swansea City – 63pts, -3gd

12th: Sheffield Wednesday – 58pts, -9gd

13th: Norwich City – 57pts, +4gd

14th: Watford – 57pts, -8gd

15th: Portsmouth – 56pts, -12gd

16th: QPR – 53pts, -12gd

17th: Derby County – 52pts, -7gd

18th: Oxford United – 52pts, -18gd

19th: Stoke City – 50pts, -18gd

20th: Preston North End – 49pts, -13gd

21st: Luton Town – 49pts, -24gd

22nd: Hull City – 48pts, -11gd

23rd: Plymouth Argyle – 47pts, -36gd

24th: Cardiff City – 44pts, -26gd

Supercomputer predicts Bristol City and play-off rivals’ last-day results and final league table

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