The Sky Blues versus The Tractor Boys, The Foxes v The Rams, and More EFL Action Previews
Welcome for the full night of EFL as well as international football action. The spotlight falls on major Championship encounters and the pivotal final pool matches in this Afcon tournament.
Preamble
Oh, hi folks. Welcome to the reportedly this second-to-last soccer live blog of the year. We have an extensive Football League schedule, kicking off with Ipswich's trip to Coventry at 6pm, while we’ll also be keeping a close watch on the two night fixtures from Group A at the Afcon: Morocco hosting Zambia and Comoros v Mali.
Our primary attention will be on these games, all 19:45 kick-offs except where noted.
Afcon 2025
- Comoros versus Mali (19:00)
- Zambia versus The Atlas Lions (19:00)
Second Division Matches
- Coventry v The Tractor Boys (18:00)
- Leicester versus The Rams
- Middlesbrough v Hull
- The Lions versus The Robins
- Wrexham versus Preston
Third Tier Fixture
- Cardiff versus Stevenage
Recent Lineup Updates
Ipswich at Coventry Confirmed Lineups
The early game, featuring the sides sitting top and third in the Championship, looks like an exciting match. These are the confirmed lineups.
Coventry City (a 4-2-3-1 formation) Rushworth; the right-back, Woolfenden, Kitching, the left-back; the midfielder, the captain; Sakamoto, the attacking midfielder, the forward; the striker.
Subs: Wilson, Allen, Simms, the defender, Bidwell, the defender, Eccles, the youngster, Andrews.
Ipswich (4-2-3-1) The shot-stopper; Furlong, the centre-half, the defender, the left-back; Matusiwa, the midfielder; Walle, Nunez, Jack Clarke; Azon.
Substitutes: Palmer, Young, Johnson, the defender, the midfielder, Burns, the forward, Philogene-Bidace, the striker.
Referee Backhouse (from Cumbria).
Afcon 2025: Group A Scenarios
Look, it’s complicated. That's often the case where only some third-placed teams progress. This is the current state ahead of tonight’s last set of matches.
- Morocco 4pts, GD+2
- Mali 2 points, GD0 (goals scored 2)
- Zambia 2 points, GD0 (with 1 goal for)
- Comoros 1 point, -2 goal difference
Briefly, Morocco are probably fine though they will aim to beat their opponents and top the group. Zambia probably need a draw or better against the hosts. The island nation probably need to overcome Mali, who will probably be okay with a point.
A host of potential results and permutations.
Egypt's Match with Angola Latest
The final act of the second group at this Africa Cup of Nations has coverage elsewhere. To avoid spoilers, it's best not to seek out that information.
Second Tier Table Overview
| 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 |
