EFL preview: Open-top buses booked as finish line comes into view

The open-top buses have been reserved for weeks, the local authorities have been put on notice for road closures, the fridges are stocked and you just know there are boxes of gaudy celebratory merchandise lurking in warehouses waiting for the green light to be shipped to a stadium. We're approaching the finish line on the final straight of the marathon EFL race and there are podium places up for grabs this weekend. There are also some huge games in the battle to avoid dropping through the relegation trapdoor in the Championship, League One and at the very foot of the EFL.

Calculators at the ready, here are five things to look out for this weekend. Champions elect are almost there Coventry began the Championship season with a 12-game unbeaten run, rising to the summit at the start of October and, despite a wobble early in 2026, have remained there ever since. That run of 16 points from 13 games either side of Christmas allowed Middlesbrough to temporarily wipe out an eight-point deficit to go level on points with the Sky Blues in February, but a 3-1 win over Boro launched a run of eight wins in nine games and moved Frank Lampard's men 12 points clear and has fans counting down the days until their 25-year exile from the top flight comes to an end.

That could happen on Saturday. Should Millwall fail to win at West Brom on Friday (20:00 BST) then Coventry will host rock-bottom Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday (12:30 BST) knowing a win would mean Middlesbrough must beat Portsmouth at the Riverside at 15:00 BST to prevent the Sky Blues celebrating automatic promotion this weekend. League One Lincoln became the first side to secure promotion this season on Monday, ending a 65-year wait to return to the second tier.

When the Imps suffered a last-gasp 3-2 defeat at Wycombe on 22 November they slipped out of the automatic promotion places. But they have gone unbeaten in the 24 games since, winning 19 of them, including at long-time title favourites Cardiff on 7 March, which saw the Imps take over at the top and they have not looked back. With promotion secured, they now have their sights set on being champions.