Huddersfield Town boss makes Leeds United promotion battle promise despite relegation fate

Huddersfield Town boss Andre Breitenreiter is pushing his side to go out swinging by having a say on the Championship's promotion race this weekend. The Terriers were effectively relegated on Saturday as their draw with Birmingham City at the John Smith's Stadium left them three points adrift of safety with a goal difference deficit that looks insurmountable.

Consequently, whether they win or lose at Ipswich Town on the final day of the season, they will be relegated to League One. Breitenreiter wants to see his side maintain their professionalism and go down on something of a high at Portman Road, even if that means giving local rivals Leeds United the advantage in the battle at the top of the division.

Leeds are guaranteed to enter the final day of the campaign with something to play for, regardless of Ipswich's result at Coventry City on Tuesday night. That means that, should the Whites do their part by beating Southampton, a surprise win for the Terriers will see Leeds promoted automatically to the Premier League.

Huddersfield know how to frustrate the bigger teams in the division having taken points off Ipswich, Leeds and Southampton throughout the season and should they rally for one last time in the second tier, they'll believe they have the ability to cause problems in Suffolk. The pressure is off and their fate all but sealed, but the boss expects to see his side play like they can still beat the drop.

“We have to be professional for the last game and maybe decide the promotion battle," the German said after the draw with Birmingham. "It’s our task to do our job.

"We want to finish the season with a good result and after we have hold conversations about individuals and about the future.

"The whole analysis will take place after the season. It is difficult to win with 15 goals next weekend. But we weren’t relegated today.”

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Breitenreiter is Huddersfield's third manager of the campaign having arrived in February following the departure of Darren Moore, who replaced Neil Warnock last September in the Terriers hot seat. Relegation will ensure they will be playing third tier football for the first time since 2012.

They'll join Rotherham United in League One, with one of Birmingham, Plymouth Argyle, Sheffield Wednesday or Blackburn Rovers becoming the third and final team to lose their second tier status on Saturday.

What Ipswich will need on the final day against Huddersfield depends on how they get on against Coventry on Tuesday night. A win at the CBS Arena and just a point would see them over the line and back into the Premier League. Lose at Coventry and they'll surrender control of their own destiny, with a favour from Southampton at Elland Road needed as well as three points in their last fixture.