EFL Championship promotion battle: Ipswich Town, Millwall must smell blood at fresh twist | OneFootball

Middlesbrough continue to drop points in the race for promotion into the Premier League, and Ipswich and Millwall will sense a golden opportunity.

The race for promotion into the Premier League is certainly an exciting one heading into the final couple of months of the 2025/26 campaign.

Coventry City look as though they're the runaway leaders in the Championship, with the Sky Blues seven points clear of second-placed Middlesbrough.

Frank Lampard's side had a brief spell of inconsistency, but unlike Middlesbrough, they've held their nerve at a crucial moment of the season, which leaves them on the cusp of promotion into the Premier League.

Middlesbrough had previously been considerably closer to Coventry in the table earlier this year, but a poor run of results has seen them drift away from a glimpse of top spot in the second-tier.

Kim Hellberg's side are still second in the table, but a run of just two wins from their last seven matches has seen Boro lose the notable points advantage they had over third place.

A dismal 1-0 home defeat to struggling Charlton Athletic was followed by a 1-1 draw with Bristol City last time out, where the Robins equalised in stoppage time through an Adam Randell header.

Ipswich Town and Millwall are the teams hunting them down heading into the final eight matches of the season, and given both of their recent form, there's everything to play for in the race for the automatic promotion places.

Ipswich Town are a serious threat to Middlesbrough

Ipswich Town are the main threat for Middlesbrough in the battle to secure automatic promotion, with the Tractor Boys having experience of playing in the top-flight last season.

A large part of McKenna's team stuck around, which means that the majority of the squad has previously tasted promotion from the Championship.

With Jaden Philogene recently returning to the matchday squad, Ipswich have one of their main goal threats back available, and the ten-goal midfielder will fancy his chances of picking up where he left off, as the Tractor Boys look to force themselves into the automatic promotion places.

That experience in crucial moments could be key, and with Middlesbrough being generous in the points that they've been giving away lately, Ipswich are more than capable of taking advantage of Boro's struggles.

McKenna's side are unbeaten in their last six matches, and have the second-best home record in the division, as they've only lost once at Portman Road this term, which makes a tough visit for Middlesbrough even tougher when the two teams face off in April.

Crucially, Ipswich have a game in hand on Middlesbrough, and winning that would put their promotion chances in their own hands. However, they've still got to face in-form Norwich City and play-off chasing Southampton as well, so it won't be an easy task to pick up maximum points.

The pressure isn't on Millwall

Millwall haven't ever played in the Premier League, but are well-positioned to mount a serious challenge to Middlesbrough in the final eight games of this year's campaign.

Alex Neil's side have put together a hugely impressive run of results since the turn of the New Year, winning five of their last seven matches, which means they're just two points adrift of Middlesbrough in the Championship table.

The pressure is somewhat off the Lions, as there is more expectation on Middlesbrough to hold their nerve, and that could play into Millwall's hands.

The battle for the second automatic promotion spot could come down to when Millwall take on Middlesbrough at The Riverside. Millwall were convincingly beaten 3-0 on home soil by Boro in the reverse fixture back in August 2025, but have since established themselves as a serious threat to their promotion-chasing rivals.

Millwall have a slightly more favourable run-in from now until the end of the season compared to the fixtures that Middlesbrough and Ipswich are faced with. Alex Neil's men take on the likes of West Brom, Leicester City, and Oxford United, with all of those teams struggling to avoid relegation into League One.

In-form Femi Azeez could be the key to unlocking promotion

Femi Azeez has been key to Millwall's upturn in form in the second-half of the 2025/26 league campaign, with the former Reading winger having eight goals and eight assists to his name so far this term.

These impressive showings haven't gone unnoticed either, with the likes of Leeds United, Sunderland, and Everton being amongst the clubs reportedly interested in landing his signature in the summer transfer window.

If they can keep their key players such as Azeez injury-free, then Millwall will fancy their chances at sneaking into second spot before the 2025/26 league campaign reaches a conclusion.

With Middlesbrough, Ipswich Town, and Millwall all needing to play each other before the season finishes, it's still very open to win promotion automatically, and it's all going to come down to which team can hold their nerve on a consistent basis.