Follow live coverage as Preston North End face Middlesbrough in the Championship today.
An increasingly competitive second tier in English football remains an intense and exciting competition, with the prize of a place in the Premier League on offer at the end of the season.
Relegation from the top flight last term means Luton, Burnley and Sheffield United are all back in the second tier this term and will be expected to push for play-off spots again at least, but so too will Norwich City, an improving Coventry and beaten play-off finalists Leeds United. At the other end of the table, Wayne Rooney is aiming to revive Plymouth’s fortunes after they narrowly avoided relegation last year, with Portsmouth and Derby the teams promoted from League One along with play-off final winners Oxford.
Follow live updates from today’s game in the live blog below.
Preston North End FC 2 - 1 Middlesbrough FC
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
16:59Match ends, Preston North End 2, Middlesbrough 1.
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
16:58Second Half ends, Preston North End 2, Middlesbrough 1.
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
16:54Foul by Marcus Forss (Middlesbrough).
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
16:54Fourth official has announced 7 minutes of added time.
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
16:51Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
16:50Delay in match because of an injury Robert Brady (Preston North End).
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
16:48Aidan Morris (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
16:46Aidan Morris (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
16:46Ryan Ledson (Preston North End) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
16:46Aidan Morris (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
16:46Substitution, Preston North End. Will Keane replaces Mads Frökjaer-Jensen.
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
16:43Substitution, Middlesbrough. Alex Gilbert replaces Finn Azaz.
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
16:42Attempt missed. Delano Burgzorg (Middlesbrough) right footed shot from outside the box.
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
16:39Goal! Preston North End 2, Middlesbrough 1. Emil Riis (Preston North End) right footed shot from the centre of the box.
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
16:38Attempt saved. Emil Riis (Preston North End) left footed shot from the left side of the box is saved.
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
16:37Luke Ayling (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
16:36Attempt missed. Ryan Giles (Middlesbrough) left footed shot from outside the box.
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
16:35Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
16:35Substitution, Middlesbrough. Ryan Giles replaces Neto Borges because of an injury.
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
16:35Substitution, Preston North End. Duane Holmes replaces Sam Greenwood.
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
16:35Substitution, Preston North End. Emil Riis replaces Milutin Osmajic.
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
16:33Delay in match (Middlesbrough).
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
16:33Attempt blocked. Kaine Kesler-Hayden (Preston North End) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
16:31Corner, Preston North End. Conceded by Rav van den Berg.
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
16:30Corner, Preston North End. Conceded by Dael Fry.
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
16:30Attempt missed. Ali McCann (Preston North End) right footed shot from the left side of the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Robert Brady.
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
16:30Attempt blocked. Finn Azaz (Middlesbrough) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Delano Burgzorg.
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
16:27Hayden Hackney (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
16:35Attempt blocked. Marcus Forss (Middlesbrough) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Finn Azaz.
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
16:25Luke Ayling (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
16:24Corner, Middlesbrough. Conceded by Ali McCann.
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
16:22Substitution, Preston North End. Robert Brady replaces Jayden Meghoma.
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
16:22Substitution, Preston North End. Ryan Ledson replaces Stefán Thórdarson.
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
16:22Attempt missed. Marcus Forss (Middlesbrough) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Luke Ayling with a cross.
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
16:22Corner, Middlesbrough. Conceded by Freddie Woodman.
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
16:22Attempt saved. Marcus Forss (Middlesbrough) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the top left corner. Assisted by Hayden Hackney.
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
16:22Attempt missed. Dael Fry (Middlesbrough) header from the centre of the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Finn Azaz with a cross following a corner.
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
16:17Corner, Middlesbrough. Conceded by Freddie Woodman.
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
16:20Attempt saved. Ben Doak (Middlesbrough) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner.
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
16:15Attempt missed. Marcus Forss (Middlesbrough) right footed shot from the right side of the box is too high. Assisted by Finn Azaz.
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
16:13Goal! Preston North End 1, Middlesbrough 1. Delano Burgzorg (Middlesbrough) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Ben Doak.
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
16:11Corner, Preston North End. Conceded by Tom Glover.
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
16:11Attempt blocked. Stefán Thórdarson (Preston North End) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Mads Frökjaer-Jensen.
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
16:08Foul by Ben Doak (Middlesbrough).
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
16:06Second Half begins Preston North End 1, Middlesbrough 0.
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
15:49First Half ends, Preston North End 1, Middlesbrough 0.
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
15:48Jayden Meghoma (Preston North End) is shown the yellow card.
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
15:48Ben Doak (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
15:46Fourth official has announced 3 minutes of added time.
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
15:44Offside, Preston North End. Milutin Osmajic is caught offside.
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
15:44Corner, Preston North End. Conceded by Rav van den Berg.
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
15:44Attempt blocked. Stefán Thórdarson (Preston North End) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked.
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
15:42Luke Ayling (Middlesbrough) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
15:42Foul by Luke Ayling (Middlesbrough).
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
15:41Hayden Hackney (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
15:41Attempt blocked. Delano Burgzorg (Middlesbrough) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Hayden Hackney.
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
15:53Attempt missed. Stefán Thórdarson (Preston North End) right footed shot from outside the box.
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
15:36Hayden Hackney (Middlesbrough) hits the woodwork with a right footed shot from outside the box.
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
15:33Corner, Preston North End. Conceded by Marcus Forss.
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
15:29Goal! Preston North End 1, Middlesbrough 0. Stefán Thórdarson (Preston North End) right footed shot from the left side of the box.
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
15:25Offside, Middlesbrough. Marcus Forss is caught offside.
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
15:25Corner, Preston North End. Conceded by Neto Borges.
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
15:21Attempt missed. Ali McCann (Preston North End) right footed shot from outside the box.
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
15:17Aidan Morris (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
15:17Corner, Middlesbrough. Conceded by Jayden Meghoma.
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
15:17Attempt saved. Ben Doak (Middlesbrough) right footed shot from a difficult angle on the right is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Hayden Hackney.
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
15:15Attempt saved. Mads Frökjaer-Jensen (Preston North End) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
15:15Sam Greenwood (Preston North End) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
15:15Luke Ayling (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
15:15Attempt blocked. Hayden Hackney (Middlesbrough) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
15:15Attempt saved. Delano Burgzorg (Middlesbrough) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Finn Azaz.
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
15:15Substitution, Middlesbrough. Marcus Forss replaces Emmanuel Latte Lath because of an injury.
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
15:15Offside, Preston North End. Milutin Osmajic is caught offside.
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
15:14Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
15:13Delay in match because of an injury Emmanuel Latte Lath (Middlesbrough).
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
15:13Foul by Neto Borges (Middlesbrough).
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
15:07Foul by Ben Doak (Middlesbrough).
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
15:06Attempt saved. Finn Azaz (Middlesbrough) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved.
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
15:04Foul by Andrew Hughes (Preston North End).
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
15:02Foul by Delano Burgzorg (Middlesbrough).
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
15:01First Half begins.
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
14:30Lineups are announced and players are warming up.
Preston North End vs Middlesbrough
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