Follow live coverage as Stoke City face Blackburn Rovers 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.

Ali Al-Hamadi and Viktor Johansson helped Stoke City to a massive 1-0 home win over Blackburn Rovers. Stoke took a first-half lead through tireless Al-Hamadi, rushing in at the back post to tap home a pass from Lewis Baker.

Playoff-chasing Blackburn Rovers will look to end a three-game winless run when they travel to the bet365 Stadium for Wednesday's Championship clash against Stoke City. Like their opponents, relegation-threatened Stoke will also be desperate to claim all three points after failing to win any of their last four matches.

Follow live text commentary, score updates and match stats from Blackburn Rovers v Cardiff City in the Championship.

Ali Al-Hamadi's return to scoring form against Blackburn Rovers could provide a huge boost to both loan side Stoke City, as they look to avoid Championship relegation this season, and parent club Ipswich Town, who may need to rely on him up-front in the second tier in 2025/26.