The promotion pendulum has swung again in the Championship,
Ipswich can be relegated to League One and Lincoln can seal promotion
from League Two.
It's a big weekend for Leeds, Ipswich and Lincoln (left to right)
We cast our eye over five things to look out for in the Sky Bet Championship, League One and League Two on Saturday.
The promotion pendulum swings again
It seems as though neither Sheffield United nor Leeds want the second automatic-promotion spot behind Norwich.
A couple of weeks ago it was the Blades that took pole
position after beating Leeds, but then lost at home to Bristol City to
hand their rivals the ascendancy. Then came Leeds' defeat at Birmingham
last Saturday, as Sheffield United won at Preston to reclaim it.
Then,
in midweek, Leeds managed to battle past Preston themselves before
Sheffield United slipped up at Birmingham the following night.
Saturday sees the Blades host Millwall at 3pm, and a win or draw will send them back above Leeds and into second, while Marcelo Bielsa's men meet Sheffield Wednesday in the evening kick-off - live on Sky Sports Football.
It
is too early for either side to strike a decisive blow, but a win for
Leeds and a slip for Sheffield United would open up a huge gap,
psychologically at least.
The current Championship top 10
Leeds vs Sheff Wed
April 13, 2019, 5:15pm
Live on 
One foot in the play-offs for Villa or Bristol City?
It
has been a good week for Aston Villa. Two very impressive comeback away
wins, first a last-ditch one at Sheffield Wednesday, the second with 10
men at Rotherham, have fired them up to seven in a row, making a
top-six finish look more and more certain.
This Saturday they face the difficult proposition of Bristol City, who sit a point and a place below them in sixth - although the Robins have a game in hand.
Jack Grealish scores for Aston Villa against Rotherham
Both
will fancy their chances of making the play-offs this season,
particularly with a bit of daylight between themselves and the chasing
pack, but that gap will close for one or both if any of the sides below
win this weekend.
It makes it a pivotal clash at Villa Park in the
race for the top six, particularly when you consider the fact that
whoever finishes fifth will avoid facing Sheffield United or Leeds in
the semi-finals.
The race is far from run, but it would be a
fairly safe bet that whoever prevails on Saturday can start at at least
half-planning for the play-offs.
Ipswich's fate can be sealed
Only
something approaching a biblical miracle will prevent Ipswich from
being relegated to the third tier for the first time since 1957 and it
could well happen this weekend.
It has been a largely miserable
campaign for the Tractor Boys, with just four wins to celebrate
throughout the entire campaign, and anything but a victory at home to Birmingham on Saturday will seal their fate.
Ipswich can be relegated on Saturday
Such
an early relegation could be used to work in their favour, giving them a
month jump on their rivals to plan for life in League One. In fact,
some of their much-maligned transfer business in the summer may
ironically serve to help them next season, with plenty of players having
arrived with experience in the lower leagues.
Boss Paul Lambert
has also spoken positively of some of the young talent he has in the
squad, and it must be hoped that the likes of Myles Kenlock, Flynn
Downes and Andre Dozzell won't be too scarred by such a difficult
season.
If there was ever a moment that summed up their season
perfectly it came on Wednesday night at Brentford, as Collin Quaner hit
the post when he should have scored, before the Bees raced up the other
end and scored the opener. They must be more clinical in League One if
they hope to seal an immediate return.
Championship fixtures (Saturday 3pm kick-off unless stated)
A huge battle near the bottom of League One
The
sheer volume of teams in the League One relegation battle means there
will be at least one or two six-pointers every week between now and the
end of the season.
There is one on Saturday, however, that feels
as though it has more importance, as the two sides with the worst
records in 2019 - Accrington and Walsall - meet at the Wham Stadium.
Accrington have struggled in 2019
At
one stage this season both sides had loftier aspirations. Walsall won
six of their first 12 games and were fifth at one point in October, but
have won just five since and five defeats in a row have left them in the
relegation zone - and without a permanent manager after sacking Dean
Keates last Saturday.
While Walsall have picked up 10 points in
2019, fewer than any other club, Accrington have managed just 11. And
while they are far less likely to part company with boss John Coleman -
who has led them to this level of English football for the first time in
their history - a return to League Two would still be disappointing for
a side that were ninth in the table on Boxing Day.
Walsall could end Saturday out of the relegation zone and Accrington could find themselves in it.
League One fixtures (All Saturday 3pm kick-off)
Lincoln set for promotion party?
One
way or another Lincoln are going to go up this season. It would take a
collapse of epic proportions for them not to seal a first return to the
third tier since 1999.
But what an opportunity they have to do it
on Saturday - and potentially claim the Sky Bet League Two title as well
- in front of their home fans. Victory over Cheltenham on Saturday and it will be job done, regardless of what happens elsewhere.
Lincoln could achieve promotion to League One on Saturday
"We've
had a good week and we're getting ready for what is potentially a
life-changing game," said Imps boss Danny Cowley. "The boys have worked
relentlessly hard all season for this objective and we're potentially
one game away.
"It
doesn't matter how we dress it up, nobody is under any illusions how
big an opportunity this is for everybody associated with the club. For
us, it's always about giving back and our supporters have been so
unbelievable for us.
"They have played such a massive role in the
journey and we would love to do it in front of them on Saturday. With
that comes responsibility and, naturally, some pressure."
League Two fixtures (All Saturday 3pm kick-off)
Bury vs Colchester
Cambridge vs Newport
Crewe vs Notts County
Exeter vs Port Vale
Forest Green vs Macclesfield
Lincoln vs Cheltenham
Morecambe vs Grimsby
Northampton vs Mansfield
Oldham vs Swindon
Stevenage vs Carlisle
Tranmere vs MK Dons
Yeovil vs Crawley
Cambridge vs Newport
Crewe vs Notts County
Exeter vs Port Vale
Forest Green vs Macclesfield
Lincoln vs Cheltenham
Morecambe vs Grimsby
Northampton vs Mansfield
Oldham vs Swindon
Stevenage vs Carlisle
Tranmere vs MK Dons
Yeovil vs Crawley
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