Premier League promotion watch: Cardiff set for promotion, playoff scrap continues

Cardiff City vs Charlton Athletic

A comprehensive 3-0 win over Wolves in the last round settled league leaders Cardiff City’s nerves, ensuring they maintained their six-point advantage at the top of the table. Traditionally late-season wobblers, they’ve so far managed to keep things together this time around, and just a draw would seal promotion. However, Charlton won’t be easy opponents, with a recent surge seeing them move to within six points of a playoff place. It’s a tough ask, though a win could really move Chris Powell’s side into contention.

Ipswich Town vs Crystal Palace

A five game winless run has dropped Ian Holloway’s Crystal Palace completely out of the race for automatic promotion. They’re now 11 points in arrears of the top two, and despite having a game in hand, a playoff finish is the best they can hope for. Currently sitting three points inside the top six, they’ll be expecting to get back to winning ways with a victory against an Ipswich Town team still not completely out of the relegation scrap.

This is a huge game for two sides with playoff hopes. As it stands it’s advantage Bolton, who are clinging on to sixth place by goal difference alone. Leicester are just a couple of points behind, and a home win for Nigel Pearson’s side would see them leapfrog the in-form Wanderers, quite possibly into the top six. With Leicester having not won in a miserable nine game run, they’ll have to lift their spirits to win.

Middlesbrough vs Nottingham Forest

No team in the Football League has picked up fewer points than Middlesbrough this year, with Tony Mowbray’s side having dropped completely out of playoff contention. Despite losing comfortably to Cardiff last weekend, the same isn’t true for Nottingham Forest, who are being kept out of the playoffs on goal difference alone. Against such off-colour opponents, they’re expected to end their four game winless streak and pick up three points.

Millwall vs Watford

After being knocked out of the FA Cup at the hands of Wigan, Millwall can focus all of their attention on surviving in the Championship. They’re three points above the relegation zone, albeit with a couple of games in hand on the teams in the bottom three. In this game they host a Watford team who are almost certainly going to end the season in third place, with a six point deficit to the top two and an eight point buffer inside the top six. Winning only once in their last six, they need to find some form before the playoffs.

Peterborough United vs Brighton & Hove Albion

Peterborough are in an even worse position than Millwall, with Darren Ferguson’s side just a point above the bottom three. They host Gus Poyet’s Brighton, who will be looking to increase their two point gap inside the playoffs, having gone five games unbeaten. Still, with Peterborough having not lost in their last nine and Brighton winning only twice in that aforementioned five game streak, this game isn’t a foregone conclusion.

Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Hull City

Wolves are scrapping in the relegation zone, currently two points adrift of safety ahead of this game at home to second-place team Hull. With a six point lead over Watford, Steve Bruce’s side can’t seal promotion this round, but should they win here, one point from their remaining three games would be good enough to secure Premier League football.