Follow live coverage as Preston North End face Portsmouth 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 Portsmouth FC
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
16:57Match ends, Preston North End 2, Portsmouth 1.
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
16:53Second Half ends, Preston North End 2, Portsmouth 1.
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
16:53Thomas Waddingham (Portsmouth) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
16:53Ryan Porteous (Preston North End) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
16:53Second yellow card to Sam Greenwood (Preston North End) for a bad foul.
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
16:53Foul by Sam Greenwood (Preston North End).
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
16:53Substitution, Portsmouth. Thomas Waddingham replaces Terry Devlin.
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
16:53Substitution, Portsmouth. Marlon Pack replaces Andre Dozzell.
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
16:53Sam Greenwood (Preston North End) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
16:52Fourth official has announced 5 minutes of added time.
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
16:51Offside, Portsmouth. Colby Bishop is caught offside.
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
16:51Sam Greenwood (Preston North End) is shown the yellow card.
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
16:50Foul by Sam Greenwood (Preston North End).
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
16:47Attempt missed. Sam Greenwood (Preston North End) right footed shot from more than 40 yards on the left wing.
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
16:45Goal! Preston North End 2, Portsmouth 1. Stefán Thórdarson (Preston North End) left footed shot from a difficult angle on the left.
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
16:45Attempt saved. Sam Greenwood (Preston North End) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
16:45Corner, Preston North End. Conceded by Regan Poole.
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
16:45Attempt blocked. Emil Riis (Preston North End) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Stefán Thórdarson.
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
16:45Attempt saved. Ched Evans (Preston North End) right footed shot from very close range is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Robert Brady with a cross.
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
16:45Goal! Preston North End 1, Portsmouth 1. Colby Bishop (Portsmouth) right footed shot from very close range to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Josh Murphy with a cross following a corner.
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
16:43Corner, Portsmouth. Conceded by Andrew Hughes.
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
16:43Corner, Portsmouth. Conceded by Ryan Porteous.
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
16:43Corner, Portsmouth. Conceded by Sam Greenwood.
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
16:42Attempt blocked. Josh Murphy (Portsmouth) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Andre Dozzell.
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
16:38Foul by Ryan Porteous (Preston North End).
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
16:38Foul by Ryan Porteous (Preston North End).
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
16:34Goal! Preston North End 1, Portsmouth 0. Ryan Porteous (Preston North End) right footed shot from very close range to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Ched Evans with a headed pass following a set piece situation.
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
16:50Attempt blocked. Ched Evans (Preston North End) header from the left side of the six yard box is blocked. Assisted by Benjamin Whiteman.
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
16:33Substitution, Preston North End. Ched Evans replaces Will Keane.
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
16:33Foul by Mark O’Mahony (Portsmouth).
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
16:32Ryan Porteous (Preston North End) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
16:28Corner, Portsmouth. Conceded by Stefán Thórdarson.
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
16:26Substitution, Portsmouth. Mark O’Mahony replaces Kusini Yengi.
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
16:26Cohen Bramall (Portsmouth) hits the right post with a right footed shot from outside the box. Assisted by Andre Dozzell.
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
16:26Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
16:25Delay in match because of an injury Robert Brady (Preston North End).
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
16:25Delay in match because of an injury Terry Devlin (Portsmouth).
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
16:25Stefán Thórdarson (Preston North End) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
16:24Attempt saved. Will Keane (Preston North End) right footed shot from very close range is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Ryan Porteous.
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
16:24Attempt blocked. Ryan Porteous (Preston North End) header from the left side of the six yard box is blocked. Assisted by Stefán Thórdarson with a cross.
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
16:24Corner, Preston North End. Conceded by Regan Poole.
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
16:21Stefán Thórdarson (Preston North End) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
16:18Substitution, Portsmouth. Kaide Gordon replaces Adil Aouchiche.
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
16:17Attempt missed. Emil Riis (Preston North End) header from the centre of the box.
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
16:15Corner, Preston North End. Conceded by Cohen Bramall.
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
16:10Foul by Stefán Thórdarson (Preston North End).
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
16:07Ryan Porteous (Preston North End) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
16:05Foul by Robert Brady (Preston North End).
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
16:03Second Half begins Preston North End 0, Portsmouth 0.
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
16:03Substitution, Preston North End. Sam Greenwood replaces Mads Frökjaer-Jensen.
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
15:48First Half ends, Preston North End 0, Portsmouth 0.
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
15:48Fourth official has announced 1 minutes of added time.
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
15:48Attempt missed. Andre Dozzell (Portsmouth) left footed shot from the right side of the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Adil Aouchiche.
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
15:47Attempt blocked. Colby Bishop (Portsmouth) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Josh Murphy with a headed pass.
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
15:40Foul by Kusini Yengi (Portsmouth).
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
15:39Attempt missed. Adil Aouchiche (Portsmouth) right footed shot from outside the box is too high following a corner.
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
15:39Corner, Portsmouth. Conceded by Liam Lindsay.
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
15:39Foul by Ryan Porteous (Preston North End).
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
15:39Attempt saved. Josh Murphy (Portsmouth) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Cohen Bramall.
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
15:39Colby Bishop (Portsmouth) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
15:37Attempt missed. Adil Aouchiche (Portsmouth) left footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right.
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
15:31Offside, Preston North End. Kaine Kesler-Hayden is caught offside.
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
15:30Foul by Lewis Gibson (Preston North End).
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
15:30Adil Aouchiche (Portsmouth) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
15:30Lewis Gibson (Preston North End) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
15:30Mads Frökjaer-Jensen (Preston North End) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
15:28Josh Murphy (Portsmouth) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
15:22Foul by Colby Bishop (Portsmouth).
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
15:20Foul by Andre Dozzell (Portsmouth).
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
15:19Attempt missed. Terry Devlin (Portsmouth) right footed shot from outside the box.
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
15:18Foul by Regan Poole (Portsmouth).
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
15:18Freddie Potts (Portsmouth) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
15:18Foul by Andre Dozzell (Portsmouth).
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
15:18Adil Aouchiche (Portsmouth) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
15:18Attempt blocked. Kaine Kesler-Hayden (Preston North End) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Ryan Porteous.
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
15:18Corner, Preston North End. Conceded by Andre Dozzell.
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
15:18Attempt blocked. Kaine Kesler-Hayden (Preston North End) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
15:13Corner, Preston North End. Conceded by Terry Devlin.
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
15:13Foul by Andre Dozzell (Portsmouth).
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
15:11Josh Murphy (Portsmouth) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
15:07Attempt saved. Ryan Ledson (Preston North End) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom left corner.
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
15:06Corner, Preston North End. Conceded by Terry Devlin.
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
15:05Attempt missed. Will Keane (Preston North End) left footed shot from outside the box.
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
15:01First Half begins.
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
14:30Lineups are announced and players are warming up.
Preston North End vs Portsmouth
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