Leeds United, Sheffield United and Sunderland’s promotion hopes assessed in final Championship table forecast

Leeds United boost their hopes of returning to the top-flight by earning an invaluable 3-1 away victory against fellow Championship promotion contenders Sheffield United in a pulsating Yorkshire derby at Bramall Lane.

Chris Wilder’s Blades, who boast one of the best home records in the division, took the lead after 17 minutes when Whites goalkeeper Illan Meslier inadvertently palmed the ball into his own net after tipping Callum O’Hare’s header on to the bar and seeing Tyrese Campbell’s follow-up ricochet off the post.

The South Yorkshire side were good value for their lead at half time but were unable to absorb the avalanche of pressure Leeds put on them in the second half as Daniel Farke’s side equalised through Junior Firpo before scoring a late double through Ao Tanaka and Joel Piroe.

Daniel Farke praises Leeds United after ‘worst possible start’

“I’m proud of the boys,” said Daniel Farke, via BBC Sport. “This is one of the toughest places you can go, and it was the worst possible start. The reaction the boys showed was outstanding. We were able to find not just another gear but another two or three.

Meanwhile, his opposite number Wilder simply congratulated Farke’s men on a superb comeback while admitting that his side lost some of their momentum during the second half.

He explained: “It was a tight game. Congratulations to Daniel (Farke) - they’re a top side and put on a great performance. We started well. We wanted to make it difficult for them, which we did, and we lost a bit of control at the back end of the first half.”

Leeds sit top of the Championship after their most recent victory and are now five points clear of the Blades in second and seven clear of third placed Burnley. Elsewhere, the likes of Sunderland, West Brom and Coventry all have their eyes on a play-off spot while at the other end of the table Cardiff City, Derby County and Hull are all looking to beat the drop. But what will the Championship table look like by the end of the season?

Here’s the final table, according to OPTA Sport’s latest forecast.

OPTA’s final Championship table

Leeds United are expected to pick up a century of points and secure their return to the Premier League in dramatic fashion. If this forecast is correct it would mark a third league title for Daniel Farke in this division after twice steering Norwich City to the top-flight. Sheffield United are also in pole position to secure a return to the Premier League though they are expected to face fierce competition from a Burnley side with an incredible defensive record of late.

Here we take a look at the full league table and expected points tallies from top to bottom.

1. Leeds United - 100
2. Sheffield United - 92
3. Burnley - 91
4. Sunderland - 81
5. West Brom - 69
6. Coventry City - 68
7. Blackburn Rovers - 68
8. Bristol City - 65
9. Norwich City - 64
10. Watford - 64
11. Middlesbrough - 63
12. Sheffield Wednesday - 62
13. Millwall - 60
14. Preston - 59
15. QPR - 58
16. Portsmouth - 54
17. Swansea - 54
18. Stoke City - 51
19. Hull City -51
20. Oxford Utd - 51
21. Cardiff City - 48
22. Plymouth - 43
23. Derby - 42
24. Luton - 41