Ipswich vs Southampton Predictions

• Ipswich have conceded at least two goals in eight of their last nine home league matches
• Southampton scored two or more goals in four of their six pre-season friendlies
• Saints had the highest expected goals (xG) of any club in the Championship last weekend

Entertaining affair in East Anglia

Late, late shows enabled relegated clubs Ipswich and Southampton to make solid starts to the Championship campaign last weekend and Sunday’s encounter at Portman Road could be an entertaining affair too.

Kieran McKenna’s outfit claimed a 1-1 draw in the division’s curtain-raiser at Birmingham last Friday thanks to George Hirst’s 95th-minute penalty.

Saints were trailing 1-0 at home to another newly-promoted side, Wrexham, until Ryan Manning appeared to have pinched a point in the 90th minute with a sublime free-kick. But Will Still’s men were not finished and Manning then laid on a dramatic winner for Jack Stephens in the sixth minute of stoppage time.

Saints can double up at Portman Road

Southampton had the highest xG total, reported at 3.3 and 4.1 by separate sources, of any club in the second tier last weekend while also completing the most successful passes and enjoying the highest share of possession of any club at almost 75%.

It’s still early days but they seem to have got the managerial appointment very right and can give the ante-post title favourites a very tough game at a ground where they boast a good recent record. They are likely to face a sterner test at the back from an attack consisting of proven Championship scorers like Hirst, Sammy Szomdics, Chuba Akpom and Nathan Broadhead.

But Southampton’s ability to score goals also looks good after a prolific pre-season and the best bet may be to back the visitors to score at least twice, as they have done on each of their last four visits to Portman Road. Ipswich conceded two or more goals in eight of their last nine home league matches last term, just like Saints also did in the Premier League.