A Josh Sargent Norwich shirt threatened to become a collector's item this summer and Jake Cooper has laid an early claim to it there.

The Canaries striker turns him on the right flank and Cooper grabs a handful, ripping it up the middle.

He gets away with a yellow and Sargent changes his shirt.

Image source, Getty Images

Early opportunity for the home side.

Milion Manhoef sends a cross into the middle that Bae Junho can only head straight at Rams keeper Jacob Widell Zetterstrom.

Richard Langley
Former QPR midfielder on BBC Radio London

Norwich look a big physical side. It could be a tough one and I think that Alex Neill will be looking for his side to catch Norwich on the break.

Swansea have made the brighter start at The Riverside and win a dangerous free-kick but Ji-sung Eom wastes a promising opportunity with a curling cross which evades everyone.

We're four games into the Championship season, and three of those have had extraordinary stoppage-time drama.

Got your breath back?

Good, we go again. Six more games kick-off right now... who knows what they have in store for us.

Dan George
BBC Sport at Kassam Stadium

Image source, BBC Sport

Good afternoon from Oxford United's Kassam Stadium where both sets of fans are drumming up a decent noise.

Football is back and we're happy to have it, the sun is out and everyone here is pretty much ready to go.

Colby Bishop starting will be a welcome boost for Portsmouth although no Josh Murphy in the squad is a worry.

I'm also looking forward to getting a first look at Will Lankshear who joined Oxford just a few days ago on loan from Tottenham and comes straight into the team.

It is great to be back!

Former Tottenham Hotspur coach Ryan Mason will lead West Bromwich Albion out in the Championship for the first time as his new side host Valerien Ismael's Blackburn Rovers.

Mason was appointed in June for his first permanent managerial role, having previously been caretaker for Spurs during his seven-year coaching career at the Premier League club.

His first game might be a tricky one, with Rovers boss Ismael all too familiar with the Hawthorns' patrons after a seven month spell with the club during the 2021-22 season.

Rovers won 2-0 at Albion last season and have lost just one of the past seven meetings between the sides while the visitors are seeking a fifth straight victory in their opening game of a season.

These pair faced one another on the final day of last season at Pride Park.

A dull 0-0 draw was enough to see both clubs retain their Championship status amid contrasting ends to the campaign.

A five-match unbeaten run through the end of March and into April looked like it would be enough to mean a comfortable final few weeks but the Potters failed to score in their final three matches, including a 6-0 drubbing at title winners Leeds to leave themselves in a precarious position at the start of the last day.

Meanwhile, things had looked pretty dire for the Rams before six wins from their final 11 games secured safety.

Both of these teams will hope there'll be no need for such concerns come May next year.

These pair know a thing or two about false starts in recent years.

The R's are looking to avoid some unwanted club history today. Should they fall to defeat then for the first time in their history they'll have lost their season-opener four years on the trot.

That said, Preston haven't won their opening league match of the season since August 2018.

Their opponent that day? QPR.

Image source, Getty Images

Is it too early to label this a relegation six-pointer. Absolutely…. and disrespectful to boot. But bookies do believe Oxford United and Portsmouth will spend most of the season looking down rather than up.

Gary Rowett ensured a second season in the Championship for the Us with a 17th placed finish in their first second tier campaign since 1998-99 which was a triumph of sorts.

But he will be looking to push on this campaign having established a firm foothold despite admitting this week that they are not operating on the sort of budget available to some of the bigger guns.

Portsmouth, who finished a point ahead of today’s rivals in 16th, are familiar foes having been in the same division for 11 of the last 12 seasons and given John Mousinho was Rowett’s captain at Burton Albion.

They will be physical as usual and if Oxford are to claim maximum points in their league opener, they will have to beat Pompey for the first time since recording a 3-2 victory in February 2022.

Image source, Rex Features

A great deal has changed since Middlesbrough beat Swansea 1-0 at The Riverside on the opening day of last season.

Emmanuel Latte Lath’s first-half penalty separated the sides 364 days ago and while the Ivorian striker now plies his trade in the MLS, Michael Carrick and Luke Williams, the respective coaches that day, have also moved on after disappointing campaigns.

Former Luton boss Rob Edwards will lead Boro out for the first time, aiming to guide his side to a sixth straight home win over the Swans and make it back-to-back wins on opening day for the first time since 1994, a season when Boro ended up as Champions, I'll have you know.

Alan Sheehan has been handed the Swans job on a permanent basis and is seeking to end his side’s four-match winless run in season openers.

Who will hit the ground running?

Image source, Rex Features

Disappointing was the word as Norwich finished their 2024-25 in the bottom half of the table and jettisoned their manager, Johannes Hoff Thorup, in April.

The Canaries worked hard to bring in Liam Manning, fresh from hitting the bar with Bristol City in the play offs, and his new broom is charged with restarting the yoyo for a club that had four promotions and four relegations between 2011-23.

Manning has been allowed to refresh with 11 new faces through the door but it remains to be seen how badly they will miss the departed Borja Sainz, who top scored for the Canaries with 19 goals.

Alex Neil’s Millwall fell two points short of the playoffs last term – a familiar feeling for a club which has finished ninth or above in three of the last four campaigns.

An extra push to get to the post-season for the first time since 2001-02 is the aim but it is worth noting they have not beaten Norwich away since 1968.

Here's the remainder of today's opening day line-up in the second tier.

All games kick off at 15:00 BST unless stated.

• Middlesbrough v Swansea City
• Norwich City v Millwall
• Oxford United v Portsmouth
• Queens Park Rangers v Preston North End
• Stoke City v Derby County
• West Bromwich Albion v Blackburn Rovers
• Sheffield United v Bristol City (17:30 BST)

A lot of early excitement from our three games so far.

Let's turn our attention to the remainder of today's Championship line-up..

Barry Horne
Former Wales and Wrexham midfielder on BBC Radio Wales

Southampton dominated the last half hour and they would have been desperate to win.

Phil Parkinson and his players will have learnt a lot from that.

Southampton have won as many home games this season as they did in the entirely of last season.

Drink it in, Saints fans...

Charlton's late strike takes the three points on their return to the Championship.

There are a few flashpoints being calmed down in the centre circle but that was probably a justifiable win for Nathan Jones's men.

It was a frenetic final few minutes with Watford feeling they should have had a penalty when Thomas Kaminski crumpled Nestory Irankunda.

And it is hard to see why that was not given.

But on balance, Charlton carved out the better of the chances and could have won by a larger margin had the cards fallen more kindly.

Both managers will no doubt have words to say about penalty shouts with Charlton's Josh Edwards having a big shout when coming together with Jeremy Ngakia earlier in the second half.

Jo Tessem
Ex-Southampton midfielder on BBC Radio Solent

Fantastic.

When that first goal went in from Ryan Manning you knew we could win it, you could see it in the Wrexham players. It was a fantastic free-kick.

They got tired and we worked and worked. You need that fitness.

Image source, Rex Features

Honours even in this game between a team beaten in the play-offs and one who stayed up on goal difference last season.