THIS afternoon Middlesbrough are back in play-off action, having finished fifth in the Championship.

A draw at Ipswich last Sunday, thanks to Patrick Bamford’s late leveller, lined up a two-legged semi-final with Aston Villa, the team which finished just above them in the battle for promotion to the Premier League.

A fifth-place finish bodes reasonably well according to the history books because eight times the team that has finished there has ended up promoted; only third place boasts more (9). Sixth placed teams have been promoted five times.

Finishing fourth did nothing for Boro in 2015, when third-placed Norwich pipped them at Wembley. Since the inception of the play-offs in its current form in 1992, only four teams that have finished fourth have gone up.

The theory that the team which narrowly misses out on an automatic spot, in this year’s case Fulham, will struggle to follow the top two to the Premier League is clearly not as strong as is made out.

Norwich’s triumph three years ago was the fourth time in the last decade that the team finishing third has won at Wembley, so Fulham will be looking to do the job in the second leg at Craven Cottage on Monday against Derby – even though they had not win a play-off game in six attempts before this year.

Here’s a look at the play-off contenders in the Championship:

FULHAM

After losing at Sunderland in December, the Cottagers went on a 23-match unbeaten run having stuttered flowing the disappointment of last season’s play-off troubles at Reading.

Fulham can score plenty goals and Newcastle United’s Aleksandar Mitrovic, a target for Boro on January deadline day, has given them the extra power up front.

Key-man: Tom Cairney – it would be easy to go for highly-rated teenager Ryan Sessegnon or Mitrovic, but this midfielder really makes the Cottagers tick and is wanted by plenty Premier League clubs.

Play-off record: Missed out on a Wembley appearance last year so will be determined to go one better this time around.

Odds: 7/4

ASTON VILLA

Boro were delighted to have claimed fifth and in doing that they set up a double header with Villa. Under Steve Bruce they have a leader with plenty experience and he knows how to attack the play-offs, having done so with Hull.

Aston Villa have quality within their ranks, experience of big occasions through the likes of John Terry, and they lost on the final day of the regular season for the first time since five. They will be a greater threat at Villa Park, where they have scored 42 times and lost just twice there this season.

Key-man: Rob Snodgrass – the Villans have top-flight quality from back to front, but this one-time Middlesbrough target is here, there and everywhere to free up space for others like Albert Adomah.

Play-off record: Villa have never been involved in the Championship’s play-offs before.

Odds: 3/1

MIDDLESBROUGH

Boro go into battle with Villa on the back of an unbeaten four-match run, which was what Tony Pulis wanted when he named a strong team at Ipswich.

His team were behind twice, yet fought back to claim a point courtesy of Bamford’s stoppage-time equaliser and the celebrations at the end highlighted how much avoiding defeat meant.

They have the lowest goal return of the four teams in the play-offs but their end of season form has been more like what Pulis has wanted so confidence is high at the right time.

Key-man: Adama Traore – who else? Boro might have plenty of talent but the Spaniard’s electrifying pace and direct running could be the difference between another season in the Championship and promotion.

Play-off record: Boro lost out to Norwich at Wembley in 2015. In 1988, under a different format, they beat Chelsea in a promotion-relegation battle.

Odds: 3/1

DERBY COUNTY

The Rams were written off as bottlers after three straight defeats - including a 2-1 reverse at home to Boro - looked like ending their play-off dream. Yet, they stayed sixth and were the only team to have extended their season who won their last league game.

That victory would have seen Derby climb to fifth had Bamford not scored at Ipswich and Gary Rowett’s side head into their semi-final with Fulham unbeaten in three.

Key man: Matej Vydra – the Championship’s top scorer, beating Lewis Grabban by one. He has scored for fun this season and the 21 times he has found the net is the most of his career.

Play-off record: Derby have appeared in the play-offs six times in 26 years, only once though have the Rams celebrated promotion to the Premier League in 2007.

Odds: 5/1