How many points Ipswich Town need to see off Millwall, Southampton & Middlesbrough tussle for second | OneFootball

Ipswich Town know that two wins should see them secure a return to the Premier League ahead of Millwall, Southampton and Middlesbrough.

Ipswich Town took a big step towards an immediate return to the Premier League with a hard-fought 2-1 win at Charlton Athletic on Wednesday night.

Kieran McKenna’s side had trailed inside the first 60 seconds after Greg Docherty put the hosts ahead, but Darnell Furlong ensured they went into the break on level terms after a fine effort.

The Tractor Boys continued to push for a winner, and it ultimately came from the spot, with Jaden Philogene sealing the three points in the 58th minute.

That victory moved Ipswich back up to second in the table, so it sparked major celebrations in the away end at The Valley, as well as between players and staff.

Ipswich Town should only need six points to win promotion to the Premier League

But, Ipswich still have work to do, as they’re on the same points as Millwall, whilst Southampton and Middlesbrough are just three behind, so it’s shaping up to be a thrilling end to the season for the neutral.

Yet, the Suffolk outfit are firmly in the driving seat, as they have some major advantages over their rivals.

Firstly, they have played a game less than the trio, so Ipswich still have three games to play going into the final week of the season. Furthermore, Millwall, the only side on the same points, have a vastly inferior goal difference.

Obviously, the Lions have six points to play for, so, to be 100% certain of promotion, Ipswich will need to pick up seven points from their final three games.

But, more realistically, six points is highly likely to do the job, as their goal difference is 17 better, so nobody would expect to get that overturned in such a short space of time.

If Ipswich do pick up six points, they will also end the campaign on three more points than Saints or Boro can possibly reach, so 85 points is the magic number for McKenna’s side.

Ipswich Town have some difficult fixtures to navigate

Whilst Ipswich will believe they can win two of their final three games, it’s fair to say that they don’t have the easiest fixtures to navigate.

Next up, they make the trip to The Hawthorns to face West Brom, who are one of the form teams in the division right now, with Albion unbeaten in nine under James Morrison.

The Baggies fans are firmly behind the former player, and they will back themselves to cause what would be considered a shock as they are effectively safe despite the threat of a potential points deduction.

After that, Ipswich face a mouthwatering clash at Southampton, who are boasting a 20-game unbeaten run going into their FA Cup semi-final against Man City.

Finally, they finish with a home game against QPR, which looks the easiest on paper by a distance.

Elsewhere, Millwall face relegated Leicester and an Oxford side that could be relegated by the time they visit The Den, which looks favourable on paper, and they can put pressure on Ipswich as they play against the Foxes on Friday night.

Southampton take on Preston after Ipswich, whilst Middlesbrough host Watford before going to Wrexham on the final day.

Saints and Boro need Ipswich to pick up no more than three points from three games to have any chance of catching Ipswich, and they require Millwall to pick up no more than three points to finish above them.

So, realistically, it does seem like a shoot-out between Millwall and Ipswich to win automatic promotion, and the Tractor Boys will fancy their chances of winning two of their final three to leave the Londoners in the play-offs.