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Preview: This weekend in the EFL

30 October 2020

Following a midweek schedule which brought goals, comebacks and plenty of drama, another weekend of EFL action is just around the corner!

Here are some of the key games coming up in the Sky Bet Championship, League One and League Two...

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Coventry City v Reading

There's no doubting that Reading are the team to beat in the Sky Bet Championship, having already opened up a significant lead at the top of the standings with eight games played. The next team to attempt to crack the Royals will be Coventry City who, contrastingly, have recorded just one win so far this season. Reading's lead at the top could be extended further if they win this Friday night clash, which will be the first between the sides since 2012.

Bristol City v Norwich City

Into Saturday, and the early kick-off pits sixth-placed Bristol City against seventh-placed Norwich City, in a game both will have identified as being an important one. With things tight among the chasing pack, three points for either side could change the face of the top end of the table, and the history books suggest we could be in for an entertaining game - the two meetings between these sides in 2018/19 brought a total of nine goals.

Middlesbrough v Nottingham Forest

Middlesbrough will be looking to continue their good run of form when they welcome Nottingham Forest to the North East this weekend. Neil Warnock's men are unbeaten in seven and just sit outside the Play-Off places, while their opponents Forest have now drawn each of their last three league games after a 1-1 result at Luton Town in midweek. These two last met at the Riverside in March, playing out a 2-2 draw.

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Doncaster Rovers v Lincoln City 

Leaders Lincoln City are on the road this weekend, as they make the 40-mile trip north to face Doncaster Rovers looking to record a fourth straight league win. Doncaster, meanwhile, have suffered back-to-back defeats, but know that victory here could lift them back into the Play-Offs. Saturday's clash will be the 115th between the sides; their first was on Christmas Day in 1901, and ended in a goalless draw. 

MK Dons v AFC Wimbledon

A rivalry will be renewed this weekend when MK Dons face AFC Wimbledon at Stadium MK. The hosts will be looking to claim their third straight home win but face an AFC Wimbledon side who come into this game on the back of a confidence-boosting win over Blackpool. "We know how important it is to the football club," visitors keeper Connal Trueman said ahead of the match, which will be AFC Wimbledon's last before moving to their new home stadium.

Portsmouth v Charlton Athletic

It's fifth versus sixth on Saturday, as Portsmouth and Charlton do battle at Fratton Park. These are two sides with promotion ambitions in 2020/21, and both have been to Wembley in EFL competition in recent seasons, so are no strangers to the big occasion. Pompey and the Addicks are also two of the division's form sides, with the former on the back of three straight league wins and the latter having won four in a row. 

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Exeter City v Carlisle United

Two sides going well at the start of the 2020/21 campaign meet this weekend, as fourth-placed Carlisle United make the almighty trip to Devon to face sixth-placed Exeter City. The Cumbrians might welcome it, though, having now gone six matches without defeat, a run which means they're a point and a place outside the automatic promotion places. Exeter are just a point below them though, and have just one defeat to their name so far this season.

Cheltenham Town v Forest Green Rovers

By comparison to Carlisle's, Forest Green Rovers' weekend away day will be much shorter, as they head to Cheltenham Town, for a battle between another two of the early high-flying sides. Cheltenham sit fifth, two points and two places below their opponents and know that a win would therefore see them leapfrog Forest Green, but back-to-back wins against Morecambe and Grimsby Town suggest the visitors will be a tough nut to crack.

Crawley Town v Cambridge United

Fired into second with the help of the country's top scorer, Paul Mullin, Cambridge United are having a campaign to remember so far. Next, they travel to ninth-placed Crawley Town, who showed their credentials when beating Tranmere Rovers 4-0 last time out. The win was Town's fourth of the season and moved them to within two points of the Play-Offs, setting this game up to be a cracker.


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