Sunderland's most likely Championship play-off opponent predicted by stats experts after Swansea City defeat

There was understandable disappointment around the Stadium of Light as Sunderland slipped to a narrow home defeat against Swansea City on Saturday afternoon.

However, that defeat should not take anything away from what was a positive week for Regis Le Bris and his players after a win at West Bromwich Albion and a midweek goalless draw at Norwich City officially confirmed the Black Cats had secured one of the four Championship play-off places. All focus is now on ending the regular season on a positive as an Easter weekend double header with Bristol City and Blackburn Rovers precedes a visit to Oxford United and a season-ending home game with Queens Park Rangers.

One of current leaders Leeds United and fellow title challengers Burnley and Sheffield United will take up one of the other play-off spots and there are several contenders to secure the two other top six spots in the second tier. As it stands, Coventry City and Bristol City are currently in the top six - but the likes of Middlesbrough, Millwall and West Brom all remain in contention.

But who are Sunderland’s most likely play-off semi-final opponents? We take a look at the latest predicted final Championship table with the help of the stats experts at Opta.

Who will be in the Championship play-off places according to the stats experts?

Relegated: Plymouth Argyle (44 points) Luton Town (44 points) Cardiff City (46 points) Sticking around for another season: Derby County (48 points) Hull City (51 points) Portsmouth (51 points) Stoke City (51 points) Oxford United (52 points) Queens Park Rangers (54 points) Preston North End (55 points) Sheffield Wednesday (59 points) Norwich City (59 points) Swansea City (60 points) Blackburn Rovers (61 points) Watford (61 points) Millwall (65 points) Middlesbrough (66 points) West Bromwich Albion (66 points) Play-offs: Bristol City (70 points) Coventry City (70 points) Sunderland (83 points) Sheffield United (90 points) Runners-up: Burnley (96 points) Champions: Leeds United (96 points)

Who are Sunderland predicted to face in the Championship play-offs?

Unsurprisingly, Sunderland are predicted to finish the regular season in fourth place in the Championship table and are said to be on course to secure seven points from their remaining four games of the campaign. Sheffield United are predicted to miss out on automatic promotion and end the season in third place and Bristol City and Coventry City are sat in the final two play-off spots in this predicted table. That all means Sunderland are predicted to face Frank Lampard’s Coventry over a two-legged semi-final and that would hand a severe test for the Black Cats after they fell to a 3-0 away defeat against the Sky Blues last month following a 2-2 draw on Wearside earlier in the season. Should that prediction prove to be correct, it would mean Sheffield United would look to move on from the disappointment of missing out on automatic promotion by facing a play-off semi-final with Bristol City.

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