As we approach the end of the season, the Championship is taking shape, and the race for promotion promises to be interesting.

While there will undoubtedly be many twists and turns, it appears that it will be two out of four in the race for automatic promotion.

Meanwhile, at least four or five teams will be optimistic about their chances of making the playoffs.

So, predicting the outcome of such a division is a tricky game, but Middlesbrough and Southampton may face off.

Finn Azaz now justifies the £12 million Southampton paid for him.

That would be a fantastic game for a variety of reasons, but it would be especially significant for Finn Azaz, who left the Teesside club for Southampton in a £12 million transfer last summer.

In reality, months into the campaign, it appeared that Boro were the big winners from the transaction.

Azaz, like the most of his colleagues, struggled under Will Still, and by the time the ex-Lens manager was fired at the beginning of November, the offensive midfielder had yet to produce a goal or an assist.

Clearly, that was not good enough, and many Saints fans questioned why they had spent so much money on the Irish international.

However, Azaz’s performance has improved considerably under Tonda Eckert, and the 25-year-old is now an important member of the team.

He has nine goals and five assists in his previous 25 games, an amazing return that demonstrates Azaz’s effect since the German took over.

Of course, Eckert deserves credit for finding a formation and setting that allows the ex-Aston Villa teenager to thrive, but the player has also taken on the burden of becoming an essential member of the club.

Finn Azaz might propel Southampton to promotion ahead of Middlesbrough.

Southampton’s improvement cannot be attributed to a single player; Daniel Peretz has been an inspired signing in goal, Cyle Larin is a constant threat with his physicality, and Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Finn Downes, and Leo Scienza are all quality possibilities at this level.

Nonetheless, Azaz deserves recognition for his performance, and he will believe he can make a difference in the last months of the campaign, when the pressure mounts and the spotlight shines brighter.

Azaz chose to join Saints over Boro because he saw the south coast side as a more viable road to the Premier League.

Obviously, the league table shows that this is not the case, which is why some Middlesbrough fans were unhappy with Azaz’s departure, as he had a mixed greeting upon his return to the Riverside Stadium.

Whether that was fair is debatable, but that’s sport, and Azaz was undoubtedly rethinking his decision to leave when Boro beat Southampton 4-0 at the start of the year.

But Azaz might still have the final laugh, and while he has no ill will towards Boro, where he had a productive period as a player, there’s no doubt that beating them in the play-offs would be nice.

Middlesbrough’s goal is to earn promotion without going through the play-offs, but Kim Hellberg’s side may have to settle with a top-six finish.

In that case, a game versus Southampton, whether over two legs or in the final, would be far from ideal considering the caliber of the Saints’ roster and their recent play.

All football fans have heard stories about a former player coming back to haunt them, and Azaz may do the same if Middlesbrough and Southampton meet in the play-offs.