AUTHOR: Star Sports Content
STAR FOOTBALL PREVIEW: Championship 2025/26 – 1-24 Predictions
ALL KICKING OFF: The 2025/26 season is nearly upon us and it is sure to be another rollercoaster campaign!
As part of our ‘ALL KICKING OFF’ campaign ahead of the new season, our EFL expert JOE CITRONE has put together his in-depth preview for the new Championship campaign, complete with 1-24 predictions and ante-post betting tips to help you get ahead before the opening weekend.
1st-2nd place – 🏆 Automatic promotion to the Premier League
3rd-6th place – 🔁 Qualification for the Play-Offs
22nd-24th place – ⬇️ Relegation to League One
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1. Ipswich Town
There were times where Ipswich Town showed promise in the Premier League last season, but, ultimately, were not good enough to survive and find themselves back in the Championship.
Although there may be a hangover from that relegation that they will need to shake off quickly, I see Kieran McKenna’s Ipswich as the strongest contender for the Championship title this season, and that’s why I am predicting them to get top-spot.
With the likes of Azor Matusiwa, Cedric Kipre and Premier League veteran Ashley Young coming in to build on what was already a very impressive core of players, many of whom helped Ipswich to their last promotion from the Championship, this looks like a squad capable of going all the way.
In McKenna, they also boast one of the brightest managers in the EFL – a coach destined for great things in the game and someone I think will guide this impressive squad to the Championship title this season.
Ipswich Town to win the league – currently at with starsports.bet
2. Southampton
There has been a lot said about Will Still in recent times, and this year, we finally get to find out just how good he is as he aims to lead Southampton back into the Premier League at the first time of asking.
Last season was nothing short of a complete disaster for the Saints, who only narrowly avoided becoming the worst team in Premier League history; finishing just a solitary point ahead of Derby County’s lowest-ever points tally record.
Still has been drafted in to spearhead the rebuild, and to try and bring some brighter times back to St Mary’s after the season from hell for the supporters, and have begun that with a fair few departures, including Kamaldeen Sulemana and Jan Bednarek, and two new additions; Damion Downs from FC Koln and Joshua Quarshie from Hoffenheim.
As bad as they were in the Premier League, the spine of this Saints should still be enough to compete at the top end of the Championship table and I am excited to see what Still can bring to the party. I have them achieving second-place.
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3. Sheffield United
Chris Wilder’s departure following Sheffield United’s rather unlucky play-off final defeat to Sunderland was an unexpected one, and ex-Hull City boss Ruben Selles was an equally unexpected replacement.
It might just work, though, with Selles – an exciting up-and-coming coach – taking on a squad that isn’t too dissimilar to the one that was so close to promotion last season.
The Blades have supplemented that squad, which at the time of writing still includes the exceptional Gus Hamer, with some good loan signings with Louie Barry joining from Aston Villa and Tyler Bindon coming in from Nottingham Forest.
I have them just shy of the automatic-promotion places again, but make no mistake, this Sheffield United will be a force again this season.
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4. Birmingham City
Birmingham City tore through League One last season, smashing records on their way to the title and bouncing straight back into the Championship at the first time of asking.
And their ambitious owners are clearly not content with a season of consolidation. This is a club with its sights set firmly on back-to-back promotions, and they look well-equipped to mount a serious challenge.
Even without a single new signing, the squad that dominated League One would likely have held its own in the top half of the Championship, but that hasn’t stopped Birmingham from getting the cheque book out.
Kyogo Furuhashi, Taylor Gardner-Hickman and Demarai Gray are the standout permanent additions, but it’s the loan market where they have arguably done their best work, bringing in James Beadle, Tommy Doyle and Eiran Cashin on season-long agreements.
Automatic promotion might be a tall order, but Birmingham City should be right in the thick of the play-off race.
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5. West Bromwich Albion
After many years of speculation around where he may start his managerial career, West Bromwich Albion is the first destination in what will hopefully be a long and successful career in the dugout for ex-Spurs coach Ryan Mason.
Last season was ultimately a frustrating one for the Baggies, with ex-manager Carlos Corberan’s departure for Valencia putting a significant dent in their play-off push, but I am excited by the fresh ideas and modern approach that Mason will bring.
With a strong core already in place, featuring the likes of Isaac Price, Tom Fellows and Josh Maja, Mason inherits a competitive squad. If he can get them firing, which I am confident he will do, there’s every reason to believe West Brom can take that next step into the top-six this season.
West Bromwich Albion to finish in the top-six – currently with starsports.bet
6. Norwich City
After a disappointing season of underachievement, there has been another in the dugout over the summer for the Canaries, with Liam Manning swapping the West Country for Norfolk.
The ex-Bristol City boss defied all expectations by guiding the Robins into the play-offs last season, and now will be looking to repeat the trick in his new job at Carrow Road – but this time go all the way.
Star man Borja Sainz may have departed for Porto, with Josh Sargent also expected to follow him out the door, but Norwich still possess a solid core of experienced Championship players, which has been smartly added to with the signings of Harry Darling, Mathias Kvistgaarden and Papa Amadou Diallo, among others.
With a new and fresh tactical approach under Manning, I see genuine potential in Norwich this season, despite those key departures, and I have them nabbing the final play-off spot.
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7. Coventry City
It was an unbelievable turnaround from Coventry City last season, with the arrival of manager Frank Lampard sparking a resurgence that saw them rise from relegation strugglers to promotion contenders.
Although it ultimately ended in disappointment, with the Sky Blues edged out by Sunderland in the play-off semi-finals, Coventry can be proud of their journey last season under their ex-Chelsea boss.
However, I have them missing out on the play-offs this season for one simple reason…I still have doubts about Lampard in the long-term.
I know that won’t sit well with some Coventry fans, and I recognise the job he did last season should be applauded, but it’s just a lingering feeling I can’t shake.
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8. Millwall
Alex Neil did an excellent job turning Millwall’s season around after the departure of fan favourite Neil Harris, and Millwall fans have every reason to be optimistic about what he might be able to deliver with a full pre-season and transfer window under his belt.
With Neil’s side winning five of their last seven games last season, they weren’t a million miles away from a play-off spot, something that seemed inconceivable when Neil arrived, with Millwall languishing in the bottom half of the Championship table.
With some impressive signings adding to an already solid core of players, it feels like Millwall have all the ingredients to be a strong force in this division again next season, albeit not quite at the level to sneak into the play-offs yet.
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9. Swansea City
In ninth place, I have Swansea City.
Last season was a difficult one for the Swans, but with promising young manager Alan Sheehan now at the helm, there’s genuine cause for optimism. I expect Swansea to make real progress and push their way into the top half of the Championship table.
The loss of Harry Darling was a blow, but replacing him with Cameron Burgess is an impressive piece of business.
Ethan Galbraith is also a great signing, on paper, following a superb season in League One with Leyton Orient, and if rumours are to be believed and Richard Kone is on his way from Wycombe, there is plenty of reason for excitement for Swans fans.
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10. Bristol City
Following an excellent season of progress, in which Bristol City finished in the top-six for the first time since returning to the second tier in 2016, the Robins were rocked by the departure of manager Liam Manning to Championship rivals Norwich City.
They have since turned to Gerhard Struber, an experienced Austrian manager who is returning to English football after a successful spell in charge of Barnsley between 2019 and 2020, who will be hoping to build on the foundations laid by Manning.
My concern is that it may take some time for Bristol City to adapt to Struber’s high-pressing, high-energy style of football, which is a slight deviation from what they were doing before, but I still see them having a strong campaign in the top half of the division.
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11. Leicester City
Out of all three of my EFL previews, Leicester City have probably been the hardest team to predict for the coming season, as there is simply so much still up in the air at the King Power Stadium.
The hardest thing of all is still not knowing if the Foxes will be deducted any points for an alleged breach of profit and sustainability rules, and if they are, how many will be taken away from them.
As for the on-pitch side of things, Leicester have not been able to do much in the transfer window, with experienced goalkeeper Asmir Begovic their only addition at the time of writing.
They do still have an impressive core of young players, though, and still have a fair few left over from the Premier League that should be able to step up to the Championship.
In Marti Cifuentes, they have a promising, exciting coach who will be looking to maximise what they have got as best he can, but things just seem to be too chaotic and messy at Leicester for me to predict anything more than a mid-table finish at the moment.
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12. Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough underachieved last season, falling considerably short of the play-off positions, and acted by firing ex-boss Michael Carrick and replacing him with Rob Edwards, best known for guiding Luton Town to the Premier League in 2023.
However, Edwards’ stock has fallen considerably since that day at Wembley Stadium where a penalty shoot-out triumph saw them rise to the top-flight for the first time since 1992, with his attempt at getting the Hatters back into the big time following relegation ending in complete disaster.
Whether he’s able to rediscover his magic touch remains to be seen, and I must admit, I wasn’t overly impressed with the appointment when the announcement was made; honestly wondering whether they may have been better off keeping Carrick.
Of course, he’ll be looking to prove the doubters wrong, but I haven’t been blown away by their activity in the transfer window either, with Alfie Jones and youngster Abdoulaye Kante their only summer additions at the time of writing.
I have Boro in 12th.
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13. Wrexham
One of the main talking points coming into this season has been around Wrexham will fare after their rapid rise into the second tier of English football under the ownership of Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenny.
Winning promotion has almost become second nature to Wrexham, with Phil Parkinson guiding them to their third successive promotion last season by securing second place in League One. The Championship will undoubtedly be their toughest test since Hollywood came calling, though.
The club appear to recognise that, as they have wasted no time splashing the cash on some new recruits to supplement their already very large squad. Ryan Hardie, Josh Windass and Lewis O’Brien should all add some welcome Championship experience.
For me, a fourth successive promotion seems completely out of the question, but a season of consolidation for the Welsh outfit should not be sniffed at.
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14. Derby County
In John Eustace, Derby County may have found the manager who can well and truly bring the good times back to Pride Park. I am expecting a big season of progress for the Rams.
It was a real struggle to stay up last season, with the Rams having to wait until the final day of the campaign to mathematically secure their Championship survival, but with Eustace now working off a clean slate, I expect to see things start to kick on at Pride Park.
Eustace has brought many of the old band from Blackburn back together this summer, with Andreas Weimann, Danny Batth and Owen Beck all reuniting with their old boss, and it will be interesting to see how the signing of Patrick Ageymang from Charlotte FC will play out.
A play-off push feels like a tall order, although you never know with Eustace, but I think a solid mid-table finish is more likely.
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15. QPR
Julien Stephan is the new man in the dugout at Loftus Road following the messy, drawn-out departure of ex-boss Marti Ciufentus, who spent much of the summer break on gardening leave.
However, since the R’s have been allowed to get their house in order, they have made some smart moves this summer.
The signings of Rumarn Burrell and Amadou Salif Mbengue seem like wise investments for the future, but the standout addition has to be Kwame Poku, who opted for a move to Loftus Road over a plethora of other potential suitors, which reportedly included Birmingham City and Glasgow Rangers.
There are still some question marks hovering over the head of new boss Stephan, and I expect some teething problems as the R’s try and adapt to a new style of playing, but I don’t expect to see the West Londoners close to relegation danger.
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16. Stoke City
Stoke City will be hoping that Mark Robins, who did such a wonderful job at Coventry City before his harsh sacking at the beginning of last season, will be their ticket to brighter times after years of struggle in the Championship.
It won’t be easy, though, in what is a very competitive Championship, and the process of climbing back up this league and towards play-off and promotion contention might have to be a gradual one for the Potters.
They have made some solid additions to their squad, like Premier League veteran Aaron Cresswell, but nothing that massively stands out and makes me believe they could climb 10 or so places towards the top-six.
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17. Portsmouth
It was a tough first season back in the Championship for Portsmouth, spending much of the campaign in the bottom-three, but a surge in form in the second half of the season managed to see them safe, and they will now be hoping to kick on.
John Mousinho is one of the brightest young managers in the EFL, and with Josh Murphy – one of the league’s most proficient winger in their ranks – there’s reason for cautious optimism.
If they can keep both at the club for the season, whilst strengthening their squad and learning lessons from last term, they should have enough to keep themselves clear of relegation danger.
That said, the Championship remains fiercely competitive, which is why I’ve got them finishing a place lower than last year. I’d be quite surprised if they flirted too much with the bottom-three again, though.
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18. Watford
Watford decided to change their manager in the summer. And in other news, the sky is blue and water is wet.
Although it really shouldn’t be surprising to see the Hornets fire another manager at this point, it really did feel like they were building something under Tom Cleverley, which is why this one attracted more backlash and criticism than most.
Although we’re yet to see whether new boss Paulo Pezzolano is a good appointment or not, it does feel like a certain level of apathy has kicked in at Vicarage Road after yet another manager axing, which could prove dangerous for them.
I don’t have them going down, but I certainly have them struggling.
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19. Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic have certainly flexed their financial muscles in the transfer market this summer, and sent out a message to the rest of the Championship that they are here to stay following promotion from League One last season.
So far, the Addicks have added Sonny Carey, Joe Rankin-Costello, Reece Burke, Amari’i Bell, Thomas Kaminski, Tanto Olaofe, Rob Apter and Charlie Kelman to their squad in what has been a hectic summer window.
Although I think they work they have done so far has been good, rather than great, I think they’ve probably added enough – especially with Nathan Jones guiding them from the dugout – to stay clear of relegation trouble.
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20. Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers weren’t far off the play-offs last season, but following a difficult summer of key departures, I am predicting a significant slide down the table for the Lancashire club.
With Joe Rankin-Costello, Tyrhys Dolan, Andreas Weimann and Danny Batth all leaving the club, and Callum Brittain potentially next out the door, Rovers have been presented with a sizeable rebuild of their squad, and I am expecting some real teething problems for Valerien Ismael’s side.
In truth, this was already a squad that overachieved under John Eustace, and with some key components of the core of their squad now being ripped away, a drop-off feels very likely.
They should just about have enough to stay up, but I am not expecting a great season for Blackburn Rovers.
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21. Oxford United
In 21st-place, I have Oxford United, who, after proving many doubters wrong by staying in the Championship last season, will have to navigate an inevitable bout of second-season syndrome this term.
In Gary Rowett, they have a very experienced operator at this level – with the likes of Birmingham City, Derby County and Millwall on a CV that includes nearly 400 games at this level – which could well be their ticket to survival.
There have been one or two encouraging moves in the transfer market, with the record signing of midfielder Brian de Keersmaecker from Dutch side Heracles looking like an impressive piece of business. Still, on paper, this remains one of the weaker squads in the division – especially in the forward areas.
The club have done well to retain key players, with Jamie Cumming, Tyler Goodrham and Player of the Year Ciaron Brown all signing long-term deals. That stability will be vital, and Rowett’s nous and experience might just be enough to keep them up, but survival is likely to be another tough battle for the U’s.
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22. Preston North End
Preston North End’s 2024/25 season almost ended in complete disaster with a late-season wobble almost seeing them slide into the bottom-three, but a final-day draw at Bristol City was enough to keep them in the Championship.
However, it does feel like Preston are on the slide here, and despite having an experienced head in Paul Heckingbottom at the helm, I am not sure they have enough for survival here.
The return of Daniel Iversen between the posts is a solid move, and Thierry Small looks a promising addition from newly-promoted Charlton. Beyond that, though, it’s hard to argue that the squad has improved enough to reverse their decline or mount a serious push up the table.
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23. Hull City
Hull City narrowly avoided relegation from the Championship on the final day of last season, but after another baffling managerial switch, I have them succumbing to the drop this term.
Although it wasn’t always pretty, Ruben Selles got the job done last season in keeping the Tigers in the Championship, recovering from the disastrous reign of Tim Walter, which saw them plunged right into the relegation mire.
However, bizarrely, Selles was sacked and denied the opportunity to build the team in the way he wanted over the summer, with Hull being forced right back to square one again by owner Acun Ilicali.
Sergej Jakirovic is the new man at the helm at the MKM Stadium after departing Turkish outfit Kayserispor, which feels like a completely unnecessary roll of the dice from the Tigers.
They have been fairly busy in the transfer market, but I don’t think they’ve built massively on a squad that only narrowly avoided the drop last term. I have Hull 23rd.
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24. Sheffield Wednesday
You will struggle to find a Championship preview that doesn’t have Sheffield Wednesday rooted to the bottom of the table, and understandably so, given the off-field chaos that has engulfed Hillsborough this summer.
Danny Rohl did a terrific job over the last couple of seasons, transforming Wednesday from Championship no-hopers to a competitive side that, at one stage last term, looked like they might be able to push for the play-offs.
However, all that progress has come crashing down this summer, with owner Dejphon Chansiri’s chaotic mismanagement having catastrophic effects on the club.
Players and staff aren’t being paid, valuable members of the squad – such as Michael Smith and Josh Windass – have been lost for nothing, and now boss Rohl has left the club in a messy, drawn-out departure – replaced by former assistant Henrik Pedersen.
Unless things turn around quickly, which I think at this stage would have to involve a takeover, this will be a long, hard season for Wednesday.
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