Follow live coverage as Portsmouth 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 Leicester City, Ipswich Town and Southampton 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 newly-promoted Birmingham City and Wrexham, with a host of hopefuls eyeing up the £200m jackpot that comes with promotion to the top flight. At the other end of the table, Sheffield Wednesday and Hull City hope to stay up amid crises.
Follow updates from today’s game in the live blog below.
Portsmouth FC 1 - 0 Middlesbrough FC
Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough
16:58Match ends, Portsmouth 1, Middlesbrough 0.
Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough
16:56Second Half ends, Portsmouth 1, Middlesbrough 0.
Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough
16:52Alfie Jones (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough
16:51Aidan Morris (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough
16:49Fourth official has announced 5 minutes of added time.
Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough
16:49Attempt missed. Morgan Whittaker (Middlesbrough) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Aidan Morris following a corner.
Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough
16:47Corner, Middlesbrough. Conceded by Regan Poole.
Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough
16:46Alan Browne (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough
16:46Handball by Connor Ogilvie (Portsmouth).
Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough
16:46Attempt blocked. Márk Kosznovszky (Portsmouth) left footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Harvey Blair with a headed pass.
Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough
16:45Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough
16:45Delay in match because of an injury Josef Bursik (Portsmouth).
Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough
16:43Substitution, Middlesbrough. Morgan Whittaker replaces Hayden Hackney.
Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough
16:42Substitution, Middlesbrough. Delano Burgzorg replaces Matt Targett.
Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough
16:42Josef Bursik (Portsmouth) is shown the yellow card.
Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough
16:40Corner, Middlesbrough. Conceded by Terry Devlin.
Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough
16:42Attempt blocked. Matt Targett (Middlesbrough) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Hayden Hackney with a cross.
Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough
16:40Aidan Morris (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough
16:40Foul by Alfie Jones (Middlesbrough).
Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough
16:40Substitution, Portsmouth. Harvey Blair replaces Yang Min-Hyeok.
Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough
16:40Corner, Middlesbrough. Conceded by Andre Dozzell.
Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough
16:39Marlon Pack (Portsmouth) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough
16:39Aidan Morris (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough
16:37Hayden Hackney (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough
16:36Substitution, Middlesbrough. Sverre Nypan replaces Kaly Sène.
Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough
16:36Substitution, Middlesbrough. Alan Browne replaces Luke Ayling.
Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough
16:36Attempt blocked. Adrian Segecic (Portsmouth) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Connor Ogilvie.
Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough
16:35Attempt blocked. Regan Poole (Portsmouth) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Márk Kosznovszky with a cross.
Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough
16:33Callum Brittain (Middlesbrough) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough
16:29Foul by Callum Brittain (Middlesbrough).
Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough
16:25Aidan Morris (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough
16:22Foul by Aidan Morris (Middlesbrough).
Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough
16:22Substitution, Portsmouth. Adrian Segecic replaces Conor Chaplin.
Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough
16:22Substitution, Portsmouth. Terry Devlin replaces Jordan Williams.
Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough
16:22Attempt saved. Callum Brittain (Middlesbrough) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal by Josef Bursik (Portsmouth).
Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough
16:22Attempt blocked. Tommy Conway (Middlesbrough) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Aidan Morris.
Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough
16:19Kaly Sène (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough
16:22Attempt missed. Aidan Morris (Middlesbrough) left footed shot from the centre of the box is high and wide to the left.
Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough
16:18Attempt blocked. Tommy Conway (Middlesbrough) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by David Strelec.
Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough
16:17Substitution, Middlesbrough. David Strelec replaces Sontje Hansen.
Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough
16:17Substitution, Portsmouth. Márk Kosznovszky replaces John Swift.
Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough
16:16Foul by Alfie Jones (Middlesbrough).
Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough
16:16Foul by Yang Min-Hyeok (Portsmouth).
Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough
16:12Corner, Portsmouth. Conceded by Dael Fry.
Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough
16:11Attempt missed. Sontje Hansen (Middlesbrough) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Matt Targett.
Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough
16:09Attempt blocked. Matt Targett (Middlesbrough) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Sontje Hansen.
Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough
16:08Corner, Middlesbrough. Conceded by Colby Bishop.
Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough
16:08Corner, Middlesbrough. Conceded by Marlon Pack.
Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough
16:09Attempt blocked. Hayden Hackney (Middlesbrough) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Tommy Conway.
Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough
16:05Sontje Hansen (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough
16:04Offside, Middlesbrough. Tommy Conway is caught offside.
Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough
16:04Attempt missed. Conor Chaplin (Portsmouth) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by John Swift.
Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough
16:03Second Half begins Portsmouth 1, Middlesbrough 0.
Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough
15:49First Half ends, Portsmouth 1, Middlesbrough 0.
Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough
15:49Matt Targett (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough
15:48Fourth official has announced 1 minutes of added time.
Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough
15:43Corner, Middlesbrough. Conceded by Jordan Williams.
Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough
15:31Attempt missed. Aidan Morris (Middlesbrough) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Assisted by Matt Targett.
Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough
15:27Tommy Conway (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough
15:24Goal! Portsmouth 1, Middlesbrough 0. Yang Min-Hyeok (Portsmouth) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Jordan Williams with a cross.
Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough
15:23Attempt missed. Conor Chaplin (Portsmouth) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the right.
Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough
15:22Attempt blocked. John Swift (Portsmouth) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Yang Min-Hyeok.
Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough
15:21Corner, Portsmouth. Conceded by Alfie Jones.
Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough
15:21Attempt blocked. Conor Chaplin (Portsmouth) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Yang Min-Hyeok with a cross.
Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough
15:19Foul by Aidan Morris (Middlesbrough).
Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough
15:17Foul by Kaly Sène (Middlesbrough).
Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough
15:17Aidan Morris (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough
15:12Corner, Middlesbrough. Conceded by Marlon Pack.
Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough
15:12Offside, Middlesbrough. Dael Fry is caught offside.
Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough
15:12Luke Ayling (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough
15:11Corner, Middlesbrough. Conceded by Connor Ogilvie.
Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough
15:12Attempt blocked. Hayden Hackney (Middlesbrough) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Tommy Conway.
Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough
15:06Attempt missed. Aidan Morris (Middlesbrough) left footed shot from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Sontje Hansen.
Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough
15:01First Half begins.
Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough
14:30Lineups are announced and players are warming up.
Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough
13:00Follow live football coverage with The Independent today.
We will have all the latest scores, goals and updates plus analysis and reaction throughout the game here. This season we're bringing you live coverage from every match in the Premier League, WSL, Championship, Carabao Cup and FA Cup from the third round onwards - as well as the best from the Champions League and beyond in Europe.
