The Sky Blues versus The Tractor Boys, Leicester against Derby, and More Football League Updates
Hello to the full night of Football League and continental soccer action. Our focus includes important Championship encounters plus the crucial last pool games in this Africa Cup of Nations tournament.
Preamble
Oh, hi folks. Welcome to what is reportedly this penultimate soccer live blog of the year. We have a full Football League slate, kicking off with Ipswich's trip to Coventry at 6pm, while we will also monitor at least a third of an eye on the two evening fixtures from the first group at the Africa Cup of Nations: Morocco hosting Zambia and Comoros v Mali.
Our primary attention will be on the following matches, all 19:45 kick-offs unless stated.
Africa Cup of Nations Fixtures
- The Coelacanths v The Eagles (19:00)
- The Copper Bullets versus The Atlas Lions (19:00)
Second Division Matches
- Coventry v Ipswich (18:00)
- Leicester versus The Rams
- Middlesbrough versus The Tigers
- Millwall v Bristol City
- The Red Dragons v Preston
Third Tier Fixture
- Cardiff v Boro
Recent Team News
Coventry v Ipswich Confirmed Lineups
The early game, between the teams who are first and third in the Championship, promises to be an exciting match. Here are the starting elevens.
Coventry (a 4-2-3-1 formation) Rushworth; the right-back, Woolfenden, Kitching, the left-back; Torp, Grimes; the winger, Rudoni, the forward; the striker.
Substitutes: The backup keeper, Allen, Simms, Kesler-Hayden, the full-back, the defender, the midfielder, the youngster, the player.
Ipswich (a 4-2-3-1 setup) The shot-stopper; Furlong, the centre-half, the defender, the left-back; Matusiwa, the midfielder; Walle, the playmaker, the winger; the centre-forward.
Substitutes: The goalkeeper, the defender, Johnson, the defender, the midfielder, Burns, the forward, the attacker, Akpom.
The official Anthony Backhouse (Cumbria).
Africa Cup of Nations: Group A Scenarios
It's a tricky picture. That's often the case where only some third-placed teams qualify. Here’s how things look before this evening's final set of matches.
- Morocco 4 points, +2 goal difference
- Mali 2 points, GD0 (with 2 goals for)
- Zambia 2pts, GD0 (with 1 goal for)
- The Coelacanths 1pt, GD-2
To summarize, Morocco are probably fine but will want to defeat Zambia to win the group. Zambia probably need a draw or better versus Morocco. The island nation likely need to overcome Mali, who should advance if they get a point.
Many possibilities, various outcomes, plenty of scenarios.
Angola v Egypt Latest
The final act to Group B at the continental championship is being covered. If you don’t want to know the score, avoid following that coverage.
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 |
