EFL Championship leaders Ipswich Town will aim to keep hold of the top spot when they travel to Carrow Road to take on sixth placed Norwich City in the early kickoff on Saturday night. The East Anglain Derby this season certainly could decide where both sides finish this season.
Kieran McKenna’s men earned a last gasp win over Southampton last time out and with just a handful of games to go are eyeing an automatic promotion spot. Norwich, on the other hand, are currently in the sixth spot and are keen to finish in the playoff spots.
A loss on the night could see the Canaries fall to within touching distance of the chasing pack. Given that they have also played a game more, it could seriously jeopardize their hopes for a top six finish.
Ipswich currently hold a one point lead over Leeds United in second spot and are two ahead of Leicester City in third place. However, the Foxes have played a game less. Both Leeds and Leicester play later tomorrow meaning, Ipswich could extend their lead with an early win, putting their rivals under pressure.
Having just been promoted to the second tier from the League One at the end of last season, the Tractor Boys deserve much praise for their fearless style of football. The very fact that they are even in contention for a top six spot let alone the Championship title is testament to the excellent work done on and off the field at Portman Road.
Playing in the Premier League appeared to be a distant dream just last season and now the onus will be on Ipswich to drive home their advantage. With a favourable run of games coming up to wind up the season, McKenna will hope that there are no nasty surprises ins tore for his side.
Norwich have won 14 of their last 20 games but inconsistency and game management remains an issue. David Wagner’s men led Leicester City last time around before crumbling to a 3-1 loss. Ipswich’s tenacity to fight till the last gasp will be a proper test for the Canaries players who will once again bank on home advantage to see them through.
Both teams played out an exciting 2-2 draw at Portman Road in the reverse fixture earlier this season. A tie is unlikely to help either side achieve their ambitions this time around. The Hard Tackle takes a look at how both sides could line up for the game and their tactics.
Jacob Sorensen was taken off against Leicester City with a knock and is unlikely to make the cut this weekend. He is likely to be replaced by veteran centre-back Shane Duffy.
The Canaries will also be without Onel Hernandez, Dimitris Giannoulis and Jonathan Rowe. Rowe in particular, is a big miss as the 20-year-old scored both of Norwich’s goals in the reverse fixture at Portman Road.
Despite the defeat, Wagner is expected to retain most of the side that featured against Leicester last time around. Angus Gunn should start in goal behind the back four of Jack Stacey, Shane Duffy, Ben Gibson and Sam McCallum.
Marcelino Núñez and Kenny McLean will aim to keep the Ipswich creators quiet, paving the way for the trio of Gabriel Sara, Ashley Barnes and Borja Sainz the freedom to push forward.
USMNT star Josh Sargent is expected to lead the line on the night. The 4-2-3-1 formation will aim to stifle Ipswich’s game and make use of strength in numbers to force the issue.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Gunn; Stacey, Duffy, Gibson, McCallum; Nunez, McLean; Sara, Barnes, Sainz; Sargent
The Tractor Boys have injury concerns of their own and will be without the services of Brandon Williams, Janoi Donacien, George Hirst and Wes Buirns.
Kieffer Moore is a doubt for the game and is likely to undergo a late fitness test. McKenna’s tactics combined with a never say die attitude has more or less added a second wind to the Ipswich side, at times making it seem like they have a 12th man on the pitch.
The visitors are also likely to retain their 4-2-3-1 formation with Václav Hladký in goal. He should be protected by the backline of Axel Tuanzebe, Luke Woolfenden, Cameron Burgess and Leif Davis.
Sam Morsy and Massimo Luongo should form the double pivot, with the trio of Omari Hutchinson, Conor Chaplin and Jeremy Sarmiento playing the attacking roles. Ali Al-Hamadi should lead the line should Moore miss out on the night.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Hladky; Tuanzebe, Woolfenden, Burgess, Davis; Morsy, Luongo; Hutchinson, Chaplin, Sarmiento; Al Hamadi
The 24-year-old arrived from Leeds United in 2022 and has since been a stellar addition to the Tractor Boys. Wirth 16 assists this season, Davis is joint top in terms of assists created in the Championship alongside Leeds star Georginio Rutter.
He will once again be tasked with making life easier for the visitors going forward on the night. Wagner’s men aren’t known to be defensively prudent and Davis will certainly have his opportunities to hit Norwich where it hurts. How well he can combine with Chaplin on the night could dictate who holds the upper edge on the attacking front.
Norwich are a formidable side at home and will be keen to hold onto the sixth spot. However, Ipswich have belief and momentum going into the tie. Opportunities to secure back to back promotions do not come along often and to do so while leaving your East Anglian Derby rival in the dirt will add extra incentive to both clubs. The Hard Tackle predicts a win for Ipswich for the night.
