Coventry against Ipswich, The Foxes versus Derby, along with Additional Football League Previews
Welcome for the full evening of EFL and international soccer action. The spotlight falls on major second-tier clashes plus those pivotal last pool games in this Africa Cup of Nations tournament.
Introduction
Greetings to all. Welcome to the reportedly the second-to-last football live blog of 2025. We have a full Football League schedule, kicking off with Coventry v Ipswich at 18:00, while we will also monitor at least a third of an eye on the two night games from the first group at this Afcon: Morocco hosting Zambia as well as Mali facing Comoros.
We'll be focussing on these games, with 19:45 start times except where noted.
Afcon 2025
- Comoros versus The Eagles (7pm)
- The Copper Bullets versus Morocco (19:00)
Second Division Matches
- Coventry v The Tractor Boys (18:00)
- Leicester versus Derby
- Middlesbrough v Hull
- The Lions versus The Robins
- The Red Dragons v Preston
Third Tier Fixture
- Cardiff v Boro
Latest Lineup Updates
Ipswich at Coventry Confirmed Lineups
The early game, featuring the sides sitting first and third in the second tier, promises to be a cracker. These are the two XIs.
Coventry City (a 4-2-3-1 formation) The goalkeeper; the right-back, Woolfenden, the defender, Brau; the midfielder, the captain; the winger, Rudoni, the forward; Wright.
Substitutes: Wilson, the midfielder, Simms, Kesler-Hayden, the full-back, the defender, Eccles, the youngster, Andrews.
Ipswich Town (a 4-2-3-1 setup) Walton; the defender, O’Shea, Kipre, Greaves; Matusiwa, Taylor; Walle, the playmaker, Jack Clarke; the centre-forward.
Subs: Palmer, Young, the midfielder, Humphreys, Cajuste, the winger, the forward, Philogene-Bidace, the striker.
The official Backhouse (Cumbria).
Africa Cup of Nations: First Group Permutations
Look, it’s complicated. It always is when some but not all third-placed sides progress. This is the current state ahead of this evening's final round of games.
- Morocco 4pts, GD+2
- Mali 2pts, GD0 (with 2 goals for)
- Zambia 2 points, 0 goal difference (goals scored 1)
- Comoros 1 point, GD-2
To summarize, Morocco is likely safe but will want to defeat Zambia to win the group. Zambia likely requires a draw or better against Morocco. Comoros likely must to beat their rivals, who will probably be okay with a point.
Lotta ins, lotta outs, lotta what-have-yous.
Angola v Egypt Update
The denouement of the second group at this Africa Cup of Nations has coverage elsewhere. To avoid spoilers, don’t click the link.
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 |