Coventry versus The Tractor Boys, Leicester versus The Rams, and Additional Football Action Previews
Greetings to a packed evening of EFL and international soccer action. The spotlight falls on major second-tier matches and those pivotal last group games in the Africa Cup of Nations competition.
Introduction
Hello everyone. Welcome to the reportedly the penultimate soccer live blog of the year. Thereâs a full Football League schedule, kicking off with Coventry v Ipswich at 18:00, while weâll also be keeping at least a third of an eye on the two night games from the first group at the Afcon: Zambia against the hosts Morocco and Comoros v Mali.
We'll be focussing on the following matches, with 19:45 start times except where noted.
Africa Cup of Nations Fixtures
- Comoros versus Mali (7pm)
- Zambia versus The Atlas Lions (7pm)
Second Division Matches
- Coventry versus The Tractor Boys (18:00)
- The Foxes versus The Rams
- Boro v The Tigers
- The Lions v The Robins
- The Red Dragons versus Preston
League One
- Cardiff versus Stevenage
Latest Team News
Ipswich at Coventry Team News
The early game, featuring the sides sitting top and third in the Championship, could be a thriller. Here are the confirmed lineups.
Coventry (4-2-3-1) The goalkeeper; van Ewijk, Woolfenden, Kitching, Brau; the midfielder, Grimes; Sakamoto, the attacking midfielder, Mason-Clark; Wright.
Substitutes: Wilson, the midfielder, the forward, Kesler-Hayden, the full-back, the defender, the midfielder, the youngster, Andrews.
Ipswich (a 4-2-3-1 setup) The shot-stopper; the defender, OâShea, Kipre, the left-back; the midfielder, the midfielder; Walle, the playmaker, Jack Clarke; the centre-forward.
Substitutes: The goalkeeper, the defender, the midfielder, the defender, Cajuste, Burns, McAteer, Philogene-Bidace, the striker.
The official Backhouse (Cumbria).
Africa Cup of Nations: First Group Permutations
The situation is complex. That's often the case when some but not all third-place sides qualify. Hereâs how things look ahead of tonightâs final set of games.
- Morocco 4 points, +2 goal difference
- Mali 2 points, GD0 (goals scored 2)
- Zambia 2pts, GD0 (with 1 goal for)
- The Coelacanths 1pt, GD-2
To summarize, Morocco is likely safe but will want to beat their opponents to win their pool. Zambia likely requires a draw or better versus Morocco. The island nation probably must to beat Mali, who will probably be okay if they get a point.
A host of potential results and permutations.
Egypt's Match with Angola Latest
The conclusion of Group B at this Africa Cup of Nations is being covered. 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 |
