The Sky Blues against The Tractor Boys, Leicester v Derby, along with More EFL League Previews
Greetings to the packed evening of Football League and international soccer action. We'll be covering important Championship encounters and those crucial final pool matches in this Afcon competition.
Introduction
Oh, hi folks. Welcome to what is reportedly this second-to-last soccer live blog of the year. We have a full EFL schedule, kicking off with Ipswich's trip to Coventry at 6pm, and we will also monitor a close watch on both night fixtures from the first group at this Afcon: Zambia against the hosts Morocco and Comoros v Mali.
Our primary attention will be on these games, with 19:45 kick-offs except where noted.
Africa Cup of Nations Fixtures
- Comoros v The Eagles (19:00)
- Zambia v The Atlas Lions (19:00)
Championship
- The Sky Blues v Ipswich (6pm)
- Leicester versus Derby
- Middlesbrough versus Hull
- The Lions versus The Robins
- Wrexham v Preston
League One
- Cardiff v Boro
Recent Lineup Updates
Coventry v Ipswich Team News
The early game, featuring the sides sitting top and third in the Championship, could be a cracker. These are the starting elevens.
Coventry (4-2-3-1) Rushworth; the right-back, Woolfenden, Kitching, Brau; Torp, the captain; the winger, the attacking midfielder, the forward; Wright.
Subs: Wilson, Allen, Simms, Kesler-Hayden, the full-back, Latibeaudiere, Eccles, the youngster, Andrews.
Ipswich Town (4-2-3-1) The shot-stopper; the defender, the centre-half, the defender, the left-back; Matusiwa, the midfielder; Walle, the playmaker, the winger; the centre-forward.
Subs: The goalkeeper, Young, Johnson, Humphreys, Cajuste, Burns, McAteer, the attacker, the striker.
Referee Backhouse (from Cumbria).
Africa Cup of Nations: First Group Permutations
It's a tricky picture. It always is where only some third-place teams qualify. Here’s how things look ahead of tonight’s final set of games.
- Morocco 4 points, GD+2
- Mali 2 points, 0 goal difference (with 2 goals for)
- Zambia 2pts, GD0 (with 1 goal for)
- The Coelacanths 1pt, -2 goal difference
In short, Morocco is likely safe but will want to defeat their opponents and top their pool. Zambia likely requires a draw or better versus the hosts. The island nation probably must to beat their rivals, who will probably be okay with a draw.
Many possibilities, various outcomes, plenty of scenarios.
Angola v Egypt Latest
The conclusion to Group B at the continental championship has coverage elsewhere. If you don’t want to know the score, don’t click the link.
Championship Standings Snapshot
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coventry | 23 | 31 | 51 |
| 2 | Middlesbrough | 23 | 9 | 43 |
| 3 | Ipswich | 23 | 15 | 38 |
| 4 | Hull | 23 | 2 | 38 |
| 5 | Preston North End | 23 | 7 | 37 |
| 6 | Bristol City | 23 | 7 | 36 |
| 7 | Millwall | 23 | -6 | 36 |
| 8 | Watford | 23 | 4 | 35 |
| 9 | QPR | 23 | -2 | 35 |
| 10 | Stoke | 23 | 7 | 34 |
| 11 | Derby | 23 | 1 | 32 |
| 12 | Southampton | 23 | 4 | 31 |
| 13 | Wrexham | 23 | 2 | 31 |
| 14 | Leicester | 23 | -1 | 31 |
| 15 | Birmingham | 23 | 1 | 30 |
| 16 | West Brom | 23 | -5 | 28 |
| 17 | Charlton | 22 | -6 | 27 |
| 18 | Blackburn | 22 | -4 | 26 |
| 19 | Sheff Utd | 23 | -5 | 26 |
| 20 | Swansea | 23 | -7 | 26 |
| 21 | Oxford Utd | 23 | -8 | 22 |
| 22 | Portsmouth | 22 | -10 | 22 |
| 23 | Norwich | 23 | -9 | 21 |
| 24 | Sheff Wed | 22 | -27 | -8 |
