Coventry against The Tractor Boys, Leicester v Derby, and More EFL Action Updates
Welcome for the packed evening of EFL and international football action. Our focus includes important Championship encounters plus those crucial final group matches in this Africa Cup of Nations tournament.
Opening Notes
Hello everyone. You are welcome to the arguably the penultimate football live blog of the year. We have an extensive Football League programme, starting with Coventry v Ipswich at 6pm, while we’ll also be keeping at least a third of an eye on both night fixtures from the first group at the Afcon: Zambia against the hosts Morocco and Mali facing Comoros.
We'll be focussing on these matches, with 19:45 kick-offs except where noted.
Afcon 2025
- The Coelacanths v The Eagles (19:00)
- The Copper Bullets v The Atlas Lions (7pm)
Championship
- Coventry versus Ipswich (6pm)
- The Foxes versus The Rams
- Middlesbrough v The Tigers
- The Lions v The Robins
- The Red Dragons versus North End
League One
- Cardiff v Stevenage
Latest Lineup Updates
Ipswich at Coventry Confirmed Lineups
The evening's opener, featuring the sides sitting top and third in the second tier, could be an exciting match. Here are the confirmed lineups.
Coventry City (a 4-2-3-1 formation) Rushworth; van Ewijk, Woolfenden, the defender, Brau; the midfielder, the captain; the winger, the attacking midfielder, Mason-Clark; the striker.
Substitutes: Wilson, the midfielder, the forward, the defender, Bidwell, Latibeaudiere, the midfielder, the youngster, Andrews.
Ipswich Town (4-2-3-1) Walton; Furlong, the centre-half, the defender, Greaves; the midfielder, the midfielder; the attacker, the playmaker, Jack Clarke; Azon.
Substitutes: The goalkeeper, Young, Johnson, Humphreys, Cajuste, the winger, McAteer, the attacker, Akpom.
The official Anthony Backhouse (Cumbria).
Africa Cup of Nations: Group A Scenarios
The situation is complex. That's often the case when some but not all third-place sides qualify. Here’s how things look ahead of tonight’s last set of games.
- Morocco 4 points, GD+2
- Mali 2 points, 0 goal difference (goals scored 2)
- 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 to top the group. Zambia likely requires a draw or better against Morocco. The island nation likely need to overcome their rivals, who will probably be okay if they get a draw.
A host of potential results and permutations.
Egypt's Match with Angola Update
The final act to the second group at the continental championship has coverage elsewhere. If you don’t want to know the score, don’t click the link.
Championship Table 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 |
