Ipswich Town vs Sheffield United – Preview, Lineups, Where To Watch | OneFootball

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Fixture: Ipswich Town vs Sheffield United Competition: Championship Kick-off: 12th September, 20:00 UK time

Ipswich Town and Sheffield United, both with big reputations and recent experience at the top level, are set to go head to head in what will be their first meeting in over six years.

Things have not worked out that well for either of them this term in the Championship, with Sheffield United being placed at the bottom of the table and Ipswich fifth from bottom.

Such is often the case for teams coming off a disappointing season. The Premier League adventure did not last too long for Kieran McKenna’s team. Ipswich’s impressive rise from the third tier of the EFL ladder had made the fans hopeful, but those hopes came crashing down and the after-effects are still being felt.

The parachute payments Ipswich received following relegation, helped them dive into the transfer market with a significant budget. But despite the addition of a number of new faces, the Tractor Boys still managed just three points from their first four league games.

In search of an instant return to the Premier League, Ipswich went on to to spend a record £17.5m in signing Norway forward Sindre Walle Egeli, who feels he is at the right club to progress. The Sheffield United game is expected to be his first shot at English football and McKenna will expect that he gets going immediately.

For Sheffield United, the urgency is clear. Ruben Selles’ team have lost all four games they have played so far and soon the patience in the man-in-charge could run out. Fans were already surprised by the brutal sacking of Chris Wilder and the new regime have also yet to convince.

Ex-EFL man Adrian Clarke thinks Sheffield United are mentally fragile and Ipswich should go after them.

Friday’s meeting between the two Championship juggernauts has all the prospects of becoming a thriller for both sets of fans, as well as the neutrals.

Predicted Lineups

Recent Form

Ipswich Town: DDDLD Sheffield United: LLLLL

Key Men

Ipswich Town

For both teams, the onus will be on the scorers. They simply have to find goals to add three points to their tally.

Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna is extremely close to the hearts of the fans, having guided them to a double promotion. For the Tractor Boys to get their lost rhythm back, a lot will depend on him.

The club have also shown a lot of faith in spending record money on Sindre Walle Egeli. The young Norwegian can immediately get the fans on his side if he can score against the strugglers.

Ipswich skipper Dara O’Shea’s character will be tested when Sheffield United attackers break from the back to put his defensive skills under the microscope.

Sheffield United

There is no other escape route for Ruben Selles and his team. They simply have to deliver on the night at Portman Road. The Sheffield United board have backed him with signings and he needs to show his managerial acumen to prove that he is one step ahead of his predecessor.

Before going out in hunt of a winning goal, the visitors have to make sure that they have their house in order. A lot will rest on the able shoulders of summer signing Japhet Tanganga.

Former EFL star Sam Parkin believes that Tanganga could be colossal with Sheffield United, alongside quality players.

Tyrese Campbell could have something to say about the final outcome of the match.

Match Prediction

Given the high stakes, it is going to be a nervy affair inside Portman Road on Friday. Neither team will want to end up on the wrong side of the result and therefore, a cautious approach could be taken by both managers.

However, the lure to register the season’s first win will be huge. Ultimately, it could be just that one mistake from either side that could settle things.

Given that Ipswich are playing at home and have a well-settled manager in charge, it would not be wrong to tilt the prediction slightly in their favour.

Where To Watch?

The match will be shown live from 7.30pm on Sky Sports Football in the UK. The kick-off is scheduled for 8.00pm.