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Burton - who looked dead and buried a few weeks back - have their fate out of their hands but know a win at Preston would give them a good chance of staying up once again.

But could boss Nigel Clough possibly have predicted his side would still be in with a fighting chance of survival?

"I think it had been coming, it had been building up, and it happens to have come in the last four games," he told BBC Radio Derby.

"I'm not sure an open game suits us so much as they've probably got better attacking players than us.

"But we know that they've got to win so I think they'll throw the kitchen sink at us - they've got to go for it and I'm sure they will."

Image source, BBC Sport

Can the Bluebirds fly back into the top flight?

Click here, external to watch BBC Sport Wales' Facebook live video with former Cardiff striker Nathan Blake, as he gives his view on whether today will be the day for his old club.

Whether you're at a game, out and about or soaking up the sun, you can keep in touch with the Championship final day on the BBC Sport website and app.

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As well as our live text coverage, you can follow all of the goals as they go in on BBC Radio 5 live.

Click on the play button at the top of the page to listen online.

Here's a picture of a memorabilia stand outside the Cardiff City Stadium. Notice anything?

Image source, Rex Features

That's right - they've gone a little early with the "Promoted 2018" banner on the scarves.

It would surprise me if that was official merchandise from the club, but all the same - it could be a little embarrassing if things go wrong for the Welsh club today.

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Fulham's 1-1 draw with Brentford on 14 April confirmed the inevitable as Wolves won promotion.

By the end of the month they'd reached 99 points from 45 games and clinched the title.

Fulham made it 23 unbeaten but Cardiff ended the month second, one point ahead of the Whites with one to play.

Mick McCarthy announced he'd be departing Ipswich at the end of the season and then left the club 12 days later.

Sunderland felt the bitter taste of a second successive relegation, cut ties with boss Chris Coleman and owner Ellis Short is on the brink of selling up.

A great escape from Burton? The Brewers recorded a 2-0 win over Bolton to boost their hopes of survival and set up a five-way shoot-out for two relegation spots on the final day.

Image source, Rex Features

Wolves closed in on promotion, ending the month 13 points ahead of third-placed Fulham with six games remaining.

Meanwhile, Millwall had been mounting a late surge for the play-offs, with the Lions lying one point off the play-offs following a 13-match unbeaten run.

Bolton were five points above the relegation zone as March turned into April, with Sunderland 23rd and five points from safety.

Burton were bottom of the table on 30 points and nine adrift of Wanderers, but April would bring a turnaround for Nigel Clough's Brewers.

In sacking news, Birmingham made their second change of the season as Steve Cotterill's miserable spell was brought to an end and Garry Monk was brought in, while Reading, last season's beaten play-off finalists, hired Paul Clement to replace Jaap Stam.

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There wasn't a great deal of movement in the Championship in February.

Leaders Wolves endured a mini-wobble, drawing against Preston and Norwich before losing 2-0 at a resurgent Fulham.

All that meant their lead at the top was cut to a mere six points.

Bristol City's promotion bid continued to fade, with just seven points picked up from a possible 27 after the Robins were knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Manchester City in January.

If things were quiet on the pitch, it was a different picture off it. Leeds sacked Thomas Christiansen as they slid down the table and replaced him with Barnsley boss Paul Heckingbottom. The Tykes brought in Portuguese Jose Morais.

Image source, Rex Features

Aston Villa started 2018 in style, thrashing Bristol City 5-0 at Villa Park but Sunderland's woes continued as they lost 1-0 at home to Barnsley and then lost 4-0 at Cardiff.

Wolves suffered a first defeat in 14 games at home to Nottingham Forest, who had replaced Mark Warburton with Aitor Karanka, but would end the month 11 points clear at the top.

Fulham hammered Burton 6-0 at Craven Cottage as they moved into the play-off places.

On transfer deadline day, the Whites signed striker Aleksandar Mitrovic from Newcastle, and the Serbia international would go on to arguably become the best signing of the January window with 12 goals in 13 games. So far.

Seven points from a possible 12 lifted Birmingham out of the relegation zone as Burton dropped to 24th place.

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In the battle for second spot, Cardiff make one change, as midfielder Craig Bryson comes in, with Aron Gunnarsson out of their game against Reading with a knee injury.

Fulham - who are at Birmingham today - have deemed defender Matt Targett fit enough to start after an ankle issue, but Floyd Ayite is on the bench after being assessed.

The Championship player of the year, Ryan Sessegnon, as you'd imagine, starts at St Andrew's.

Lee: Wishing the Barnsley lads all the best for today’s match at Derby, hopefully you get the result you need to stay up.

David Mitchell-Baker: We've been getting battered in our away matches of late, but as a Reading fan I'd be content to play for a 0-0, keeping us safe and letting Fulham pip Cardiff to second.

Not much riding on today's game for Championship winners Wolves, other than they will pass 100 points for the season if they avoid defeat at Sunderland.

The relegated Black Cats are the only second-tier team they've not beaten this season, so that is another record that Nuno Espirito Santo will want to put right.

Image source, Rex Features

Meanwhile in Birmingham, Fulham's players have arrived for their date with destiny.

If Aleksandar Mitrovic and company can better Cardiff's result, they will go up to the Premier League in second spot.

Image source, Rex Features

Cardiff fans have been arriving at a sunny Cardiff City Stadium, hoping to see their side return to the Premier League after a four-year absence...

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And it's the same story at Deepdale, where Burton supporters are hoping their team can cling on to Championship status...

Image source, Rex Features

Image source, Rex Features

Wolves continued to steamroller all in their path and had a 10-point lead at the top of the table as 2017 became 2018.

Derby County were second as the year finished, one point ahead of Bristol City and Cardiff.

Fulham were 12th after suffering a 1-0 defeat against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light, but that reverse proved to be the starting point for a lengthy unbeaten run.

Victory for the Black Cats had momentarily lifted Chris Coleman's side out of the relegation zone and they were 21st at the end of the year, with Birmingham bottom and Burton and Bolton the other two teams in the bottom three.

Mark Warburton's Nottingham Forest recorded their first stalemate since April, drawing 1-1 at Preston on 23 December after 10 wins and 12 defeats at the start of the campaign.

December saw three teams make managerial changes - Garry Monk left Middlesbrough to be replaced by Tony Pulis, Nigel Adkins took over from Leonid Slutsky at Hull City and Carlos Carvalhal left Sheffield Wednesday on Christmas Eve to make way for Jos Luhukay.

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Wolves had stretched their lead at the top to four points by the end of the month.

Cardiff had a three-point gap to third-placed Sheffield United, who had lost a stunning game 5-4 to Fulham, with 17-year-old Ryan Sessegnon netting his first senior hat-trick for the visitors.

Aston Villa, Bristol City and Derby County made up the rest of the top six.

Hull had endured a poor run and the Tigers had dropped to 20th, four points above the relegation zone, and the pressure was growing on Leonid Slutsky.

Sunderland, Burton and Bolton made up the bottom three, with Birmingham two points ahead of the Black Cats.

Image source, Rex Features

There was a change at the top of the Championship by the end of October, with Wolves taking first place away from Cardiff for good when they won 2-0 at Norwich on Halloween.

Nuno Espirito Santo's men would not relinquish top spot as they marched to the title.

Promoted Sheffield United were in the thick of the automatic promotion race, sitting third after winning 10 of their opening 15 games.

Slavisa Jokanovic's Fulham had endured a mixed start to the campaign, and were languishing in 14th place with just four wins from their opening 15 games.

Burton had joined Sunderland and Bolton in the bottom three, with Wanderers still rock bottom on eight points.

An eventful draw with Bolton on 31 October brought an end to Simon Grayson's spell as Black Cats boss as they sacked him within minutes of the final whistle.

Image source, Rex Features

Cardiff continued their strong start to the season and ended the month top of the table, despite suffering their first defeat of the season against Preston North End.

Wolves were a point behind the Bluebirds and would not leave the top two for the rest of the campaign.

Bolton looked set for a season of struggle, still sitting bottom of the table on two points after losing all six games in September.

Sunderland had been in the top six after three games but by now Simon Grayson's side had slipped into the bottom three.

The Black Cats were to spend only two more weeks outside of the relegation zone as their form took a downward turn.

Birmingham City became the first second-tier side to make a change in the dugout, as they sacked Harry Redknapp on 16 September and appointed Steve Cotterill as his successor.

Image source, Rex Features

The Championship season began with two Friday night games, as Sunderland came from behind to draw with Derby and Nottingham Forest narrowly beat newly promoted Millwall.

But it was Cardiff who started the season like the proverbial freight train, and the Welsh side sat three points clear at the end of August after winning their opening five games.

Mick McCarthy's Ipswich were the surprise package, lying second, with Thomas Christiansen's Leeds United third.

Relegated Hull City made a solid start to life back in the second tier, winning two and drawing another under former Russia boss Leonid Slutsky.

Down at the bottom, Brentford and Bolton were 23rd and 24th respectively, having both taken two points from their first five games.

Norwich made up the trio in the relegation zone following a slow start under new boss Daniel Farke.

What a season's it's been in 2017-18 in the Championship, full of drama, surprise packages and more managerial changes than any of us can honestly keep track of.

With around 75 minutes until kick-off, let's recap on the events of the past eight months.

Richard: Cardiff will go up today. Warnock will be sacked before he reaches 10 games in the Premier League. He's a brilliant Championship manager but that's as good as he gets.

Will Wright: So nervous for today... would love it if Fulham went up automatically!

Matt Price: I'm still holding out hope that Fulham will beat Cardiff to second place. Reading will be not an easy tie for the Bluebirds. Reckon Burton and Bolton will be relegated - their goal difference is not exactly great...

If either of those sides lose, they will go down to League One. But it's all to play for!

Image source, Rex Features

Fulham teenager Ryan Sessegnon was the big winner when the EFL Awards were announced in mid-April.

The 17-year-old winger has scored 15 goals in 45 league appearances this season, and pipped team-mate Tom Cairney and Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves to be named Championship Player of the Season.

Sessegnon was also named EFL Young Player of the Season and Championship Apprentice of the Year, as well as being named in the Championship team of 2017-18.

EFL Championship team of the season: John Ruddy (Wolves), Ryan Fredericks (Fulham), Conor Coady (Wolves), John Terry (Aston Villa), Ryan Sessegnon (Fulham), Tom Cairney (Fulham), Ruben Neves (Wolves), James Maddison (Norwich City), Bobby Reid (Bristol City), Albert Adomah (Aston Villa), Matej Vydra (Derby County).

Manager: Neil Warnock (Cardiff).

Sessegnon's season was also acknowledged by his peers, as he was also named in the Professional Footballers' Association team of the season.