Southampton v Norwich City: in-form pair eye the play-offs | OneFootball

Southampton host Norwich City in the Championship at St Mary's on Wednesday, 18 March 2026, with both teams aiming to strengthen their play-off push after recent upturns in form.

Southampton sit seventh on 57 points and Norwich City are 12th with 51. The visitors won the reverse league meeting 2-1 in December, while the hosts have momentum at home after a 5-0 victory over Queens Park Rangers in late February.

Saints have pieced together a strong run, winning at Coventry City and Sheffield Wednesday and drawing at West Bromwich Albion. The Canaries arrive on four straight league wins, beating Sheffield Wednesday, Leicester City, Sheffield United and Preston North End.

Selection could matter. Southampton list Alex McCarthy, Mads Roerslev, Ross Stewart, Welington, Léo Scienza and Jay Robinson as injured. The Canaries' absentees include Shane Duffy, Kenny McLean, Jeffrey Schlupp and 10-goal forward Jovon Makama, trimming options at both ends of the pitch.

Saints average 57% possession with 83.94% pass accuracy this season and have delivered 498 open-play crosses, contributing to 12 headed goals. Adam Armstrong leads their league scoring with 11 and Finn Azaz has nine plus six assists. The Canaries have 53% of the ball and 18.20% cross accuracy, suggesting they could also hurt opponents from wide areas if they gain territory.

A win would move Saints to 60 points and tighten their grip on the play-off race, while the Canaries would climb to 54 with victory to stay in touch with the top six picture. A draw would take Saints to 58 and the Canaries to 52.