The Sky Blues against The Tractor Boys, Leicester v The Rams, and More Football League Updates
Greetings to a full evening of EFL and international soccer action. The spotlight falls on important Championship encounters plus those crucial final group matches in the Afcon competition.
Preamble
Oh, hi folks. You are welcome to the checks writing desk rota the penultimate soccer clockwatch of the year. We have a full Football League programme, starting with Ipswich's trip to Coventry at 18:00, and we’ll also be keeping at least a third of an eye on the two night fixtures from Group A at the Afcon: Morocco hosting Zambia and Mali facing Comoros.
Our primary attention will be on these fixtures, with 7.45pm kick-offs except where noted.
Africa Cup of Nations Fixtures
- Comoros v Mali (19:00)
- Zambia versus The Atlas Lions (19:00)
Championship
- The Sky Blues v Ipswich (18:00)
- The Foxes v Derby
- Boro versus Hull
- The Lions versus The Robins
- Wrexham v North End
League One
- Cardiff v Boro
Latest Lineup Updates
Coventry v Ipswich Team News
The evening's opener, featuring the sides sitting first and third in the second tier, promises to be a thriller. Here are the starting elevens.
Coventry (a 4-2-3-1 formation) Rushworth; van Ewijk, Woolfenden, Kitching, Brau; the midfielder, the captain; Sakamoto, the attacking midfielder, Mason-Clark; Wright.
Substitutes: Wilson, Allen, Simms, Kesler-Hayden, the full-back, the defender, the midfielder, the youngster, Andrews.
Ipswich (4-2-3-1) The shot-stopper; the defender, O’Shea, the defender, the left-back; the midfielder, Taylor; the attacker, the playmaker, the winger; the centre-forward.
Substitutes: The goalkeeper, the defender, the midfielder, the defender, the midfielder, Burns, McAteer, the attacker, Akpom.
The official Backhouse (Cumbria).
Africa Cup of Nations: Group A Permutations
The situation is complex. That's often the case where only some third-place sides progress. Here’s how things look ahead of tonight’s last round of games.
- The Atlas Lions 4pts, GD+2
- Mali 2 points, GD0 (goals scored 2)
- Zambia 2 points, 0 goal difference (goals scored 1)
- Comoros 1pt, GD-2
In short, Morocco is likely safe but will want to beat their opponents to top their pool. Zambia likely requires a draw or better versus the hosts. Comoros likely need to beat Mali, who should advance with a point.
Many possibilities, various outcomes, plenty of scenarios.
Angola v Egypt Latest
The conclusion to the second group at this Africa Cup of Nations has coverage elsewhere. To avoid spoilers, avoid following that coverage.
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 |
