Coventry against Ipswich, Leicester against Derby, and Additional EFL Action Previews
Hello for the packed night of Football League and international football action. We'll be covering key Championship clashes and those pivotal last pool matches in the Africa Cup of Nations competition.
Preamble
Oh, hi folks. You are welcome to what is reportedly this second-to-last football clockwatch of the year. We have a full EFL schedule, starting with Coventry v Ipswich at 6pm, while we’ll also be keeping at least a third of an eye on both evening games from the first group at the Africa Cup of Nations: Zambia against the hosts Morocco and Mali facing Comoros.
Our primary attention will be on these fixtures, with 7.45pm kick-offs unless stated.
Africa Cup of Nations Fixtures
- The Coelacanths versus Mali (7pm)
- The Copper Bullets versus Morocco (7pm)
Second Division Matches
- The Sky Blues v Ipswich (6pm)
- Leicester v Derby
- Middlesbrough v Hull
- Millwall v The Robins
- The Red Dragons v Preston
League One
- The Bluebirds v Stevenage
Latest Team News
Ipswich at Coventry Team News
The early game, between the teams who are top and third in the Championship, looks like a cracker. Here are the starting elevens.
Coventry City (a 4-2-3-1 formation) The goalkeeper; van Ewijk, Woolfenden, Kitching, the left-back; Torp, the captain; the winger, the attacking midfielder, the forward; the striker.
Substitutes: The backup keeper, Allen, the forward, Kesler-Hayden, the full-back, the defender, Eccles, the youngster, Andrews.
Ipswich Town (4-2-3-1) Walton; Furlong, O’Shea, Kipre, the left-back; the midfielder, the midfielder; the attacker, the playmaker, Jack Clarke; Azon.
Substitutes: The goalkeeper, Young, the midfielder, Humphreys, the midfielder, the winger, McAteer, Philogene-Bidace, the striker.
The official Backhouse (from Cumbria).
Afcon 2025: Group A Permutations
Look, it’s complicated. It always is where only some third-placed teams progress. This is the current state before this evening's last round of matches.
- The Atlas Lions 4 points, +2 goal difference
- Mali 2 points, 0 goal difference (goals scored 2)
- The Copper Bullets 2 points, 0 goal difference (goals scored 1)
- The Coelacanths 1 point, -2 goal difference
Briefly, Morocco are probably fine but will want to defeat their opponents to win the group. Zambia probably need a draw or better versus Morocco. The island nation probably must to beat their rivals, who will probably be okay with a draw.
A host of potential results and permutations.
Egypt's Match with Angola Latest
The denouement to the second group at the Africa Cup of Nations is being covered. If you don’t want to know the score, avoid following that coverage.
Championship Standings 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 |
