MATCH PREVIEW: Ipswich Town vs. Southampton – prediction, team news, lineups

In Saturday’s Premier League matchup between second and last, Ipswich Town will host

Southampton at Portman Road in a 2023–24 Championship rematch.

The hosts have a chance to survive, while Ivan Juric’s team needs a miracle to stay in the top flight,

even if there is only one spot separating the two recently promoted clubs in the relegation zone.

Match preview

Ipswich supporters could have been forgiven for worrying about an even more humiliating scoreline

at Anfield after losing badly to Manchester City at home in gameweek 22, where Liverpool, as was generally predicted, gave the Tractor Boys a footballing lesson.

Even though Kieran McKenna’s team did not end up as badly as they did against the champions, the champions-elect still easily defeated them in a 4-1 thumping, with goals from Dominik Szoboszlai, Mohamed Salah, and Cody Gakpo (two) before Jacob Greaves gave the travelling supporters cause

for celebration.

Though a one-point deficit to Leicester City in 17th place is hardly insurmountable, the hosts’ three-game losing streak in the division, which has dropped them back below the dotted line into 19th place,

is not exactly cause for celebration.

Last weekend, when veteran centre-back Jan Bednarek put Southampton ahead of Newcastle

United with barely ten minutes remaining, an unaccustomed feeling of optimism may have briefly

swept through the St. Mary’s crowd, but a Swedish sensation swiftly put an end to that dream.

Possible starting lineup for Ipswich Town: Walton; Phillips, Cajuste; Hutchinson, Enciso, Philogene; Tuanzebe, O’Shea, Greaves, Davis; Delap

Possible starting lineup for Southampton: Fernandes; Dibling, Onuachu; Sugawara, Aribo, Ugochukwu, Walker-Peters; Bree, Bednarek, Harwood-Bellis; Ramsdale

PREDICTION

Ipswich Town 2-2 Southampton

Although the visitors may find the form book depressing, Juric and company can surely learn from their last three performances, even though none of them were rewarded.

The Saints may still be unable to pull off a priceless win, but they can take advantage of Ipswich’s previous defensive weaknesses to salvage a point from what might be an exciting match.

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