Norwich made a losing start on their return to English football’s Championship on Saturday as they were beaten 1-0 away to Cardiff in a match where both sides had a player sent off.The Canaries were relegated from the Premier League last season after finishing bottom of the table, but with many pundits predicting they will bounce straight back up.They fell behind in the Welsh capital early in the second half when Romaine Sawyers scored on his Cardiff debut. The Bluebirds, however, were reduced to 10 men when Perry Ng was sent off for a second bookable offence.Norwich away fans at Cardiff today #NCFC pic.twitter.com/kNWH3N6RDr— Talk Norwich City (@TalkNorwichCity) July 30, 2022 Norwich could not capitalise on an advantage that, in any case, lasted a mere 12 minutes before captain Grant Hanley was dismissed for a second yellow card.Millwall made a strong start to the new season as centre-half Charlie Cresswell marked his debut by scoring twice in a 2-0 win over Stoke. Hull came from behind to defeat Bristol City 2-1 thanks to Ozan Tufan’s second-half penalty and Jean Michael Seri’s deflected stoppage-time strike after Andreas Weimann had put the Robins in front.##NAJAVA_MECA_6534666##Blackburn edged past QPR 1-0 thanks to a goal from Lewis Travis, with Blackpool defeating Reading by the same score courtesy of Callum Connolly’s ninth-minute goal. Swansea came from behind to draw 1-1 away to promoted Rotherham. Chiedozie Ogbene gave Rotherham, second in League One last season, the lead 16 minutes in before Harry Darling equalised before half-time.Won a pen, scored, lifted the Shield: Darwin’s bright start of life in RedMiddlesbrough and West Brom also shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw at the Riverside. Isaiah Jones gave Boro a 10th-minute lead but West Brom boss Steve Bruce saw one of his new signings, John Swift, equalise five minutes after the break. Wigan, the League One champions last season, gained a point with a goalless draw against Preston, who had Ched Evans sent off late on, while the match between Luton and Birmingham also ended 0-0.Friday’s opening match of the new season saw Vincent Kompany’s first competitive game as Burnley manager end in a 1-0 win away to Huddersfield. The former Manchester City captain was appointed as the permanent successor to the long-serving Sean Dyche last month following Burnley’s relegation from the Premier League. On-loan Chelsea winger Ian Maatsen marked his debut with the only goal of the game.EFL CHAMPIONSHIP – Round 1FridayHuddersfield – Burnley 0-1 (0-1)/Maatsen 18/SaturdayBlackburn – QPR 1-0 (1-0)/Trevis 34/Blackpool – Reading 1-0 (1-0)/Conley 9/Cardiff – Norwich 1-0 (0-0)/Sawyers 49/Hull – Bristol City 2-1 (0-1)/Tufan 72, Seri 90+4 – Weimann 30/Luton – Birmingham 0-0Millwall – Stoke 2-0 (1-0)/Creswell 12, 65/Rotherham – Swansea 1-1 (1-1)/Ogbene 16 – Darling 38/Wigan – Preston 0-0Middlesbrough – WBA 1-1 (1-0)/Jones 10 – Swift 51/Sunday14.00: (2.73) Sunderland (3.10) Coventry (2.80)Monday22.00: (2.40) Watford (3.20) Sheffield Utd (3.15)***odds are subject to change
