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Football Manager 2020 predicts final Sky Bet League One table

Football Manager 2020 simulated the rest of the Sky Bet League One season. Here are the results...

The Sky Bet League One 2019/20 season was supposed to come to a conclusion on Sunday, but who would have been promoted and relegated, or reached the play-offs?

If the campaign had continued as normal, the final round of third-tier games would have taken place today, and we have turned to Football Manager 2020 to find out what may have happened throughout the rest of the campaign.

So would have reached the Championship? Who would have been relegated to League Two, and who would have been set for the lottery of the play-offs?

Football Manager have used their unique software to simulate the rest of the season, and to see how the table would have shaped up...

Final League One table

The promotion battle

The League One season would have culminated in a thrilling finish in the battle for promotion, according to a simulation by Football Manager.

Heading into the final day of the season, three teams are level on 78 points at the top of the table with just the two automatic promotion places available.

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Oxford United continue their excellent form through to the end of the season with a run of four straight wins in April, including a 2-1 win away at title rivals Coventry. That helps to propel them into pole position in the title race heading into the final day.

Rotherham recover from a slight stutter in early April and pick up wins against Doncaster and Bolton from their last two games to put themselves in second place on goal difference before their last match of the season against Sunderland.

Coventry were top going into the start of the simulation but fall apart in April, picking up just a sole win with a crucial 3-1 victory over Burton on the penultimate day of the season to leave them in third but level on points with the top two.

A dramatic final day plays out as Oxford fall behind after just five minutes to Bolton, and Rotherham take an early lead against Sunderland. Coventry meanwhile are never really in it against AFC Wimbledon as the Wombles run out 3-1 winners.

Oxford equalise just before half-time before a decisive 62nd-minute turnaround that sees Sunderland equalise at Rotherham and Oxford grab a second against Bolton. Despite going close late on, Rotherham can't find a way through and Oxford see out the remaining half an hour against Bolton to secure their first league title since 1985.

Final day results

The play-off races

The battle for the play-off places is just as tightly contested. Coventry's third place is their consolation prize for so narrowly missing out on the automatic places. Peterborough can't take advantage of Portsmouth's 2-0 defeat to Burton on the last day as they draw 2-2 with already relegated Tranmere and have to settle for fifth.

Fleetwood and Sunderland fight it out for the final playoff place. With Fleetwood playing their last match of the season on the penultimate day, they need a win to put themselves in the best possible position to claim sixth. They could only draw at home to relegated Southend, putting Sunderland in control of their own fate. The Black Cats' 1-1 draw with title contenders Rotherham on the final day is enough to push them into sixth and secure that all-important final play-off spot.

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Our selection of the top five goals of the Sky Bet League One season 2019/20 so far...

The relegation battle

At the foot of the table, occupying the relegation places alongside Southend and Tranmere are Bolton. Their 12-point deduction puts them bottom of the pile, with Southend four points above them. Tranmere come closest to beating the drop as they finish six points behind AFC Wimbledon and lose just twice in their remaining games.

Elsewhere, Ipswich fans will be left wondering what might have been had they continued their strong form from the start of the season as they finish in 11th place, five points off the play-off places. Gillingham and Rochdale prove themselves to be amongst the form teams from the remaining fixtures, as The Gills win five of their last six on their way to a ninth-place finish, and Rochdale lose just twice as they pull themselves clear of the relegation battle.

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