Coventry v Ipswich, Leicester against Derby, and Additional EFL Action Updates
Hello to the full evening of EFL as well as international football action. We'll be covering key second-tier encounters and those crucial last group matches in this Africa Cup of Nations tournament.
Preamble
Hello everyone. You are welcome to what is arguably the second-to-last football clockwatch of 2025. There’s a full Football League programme, kicking off with Ipswich's trip to Coventry at 18:00, and we will also monitor a close watch on both night games from Group A at this Afcon: Morocco hosting Zambia as well as Mali facing Comoros.
Our primary attention will be on the following matches, with 7.45pm start times unless stated.
Afcon 2025
- Comoros versus The Eagles (19:00)
- The Copper Bullets v The Atlas Lions (19:00)
Second Division Matches
- The Sky Blues versus The Tractor Boys (18:00)
- The Foxes v Derby
- Middlesbrough v Hull
- Millwall versus Bristol City
- Wrexham v Preston
Third Tier Fixture
- The Bluebirds versus Stevenage
Latest Lineup Updates
Coventry v Ipswich Confirmed Lineups
The evening's opener, between the teams who are top and third in the Championship, looks like an exciting match. Here are the starting elevens.
Coventry (a 4-2-3-1 formation) Rushworth; the right-back, the centre-back, Kitching, Brau; Torp, the captain; Sakamoto, the attacking midfielder, the forward; the striker.
Substitutes: The backup keeper, Allen, the forward, Kesler-Hayden, the full-back, the defender, the midfielder, Perry, Andrews.
Ipswich (4-2-3-1) Walton; Furlong, O’Shea, Kipre, Greaves; the midfielder, the midfielder; the attacker, the playmaker, the winger; Azon.
Substitutes: The goalkeeper, the defender, Johnson, Humphreys, Cajuste, the winger, the forward, Philogene-Bidace, the striker.
Referee Anthony Backhouse (from Cumbria).
Afcon 2025: First Group Scenarios
Look, it’s complicated. That's often the case where only some third-placed teams qualify. Here’s how things look before tonight’s final set of matches.
- Morocco 4pts, GD+2
- Mali 2 points, GD0 (goals scored 2)
- Zambia 2 points, 0 goal difference (with 1 goal for)
- The Coelacanths 1 point, -2 goal difference
Briefly, Morocco is likely safe but will want to defeat their opponents to top their pool. Zambia likely requires a draw or better against Morocco. The island nation probably need to overcome their rivals, who should advance if they get a draw.
A host of potential results and permutations.
Angola v Egypt Latest
The conclusion of Group B at this Africa Cup of Nations has coverage elsewhere. If you don’t want to know the score, it's best not to seek out that information.
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 |
