Sports Mole previews Tuesday’s Championship clash between Bristol City and Ipswich Town, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Bristol City will be looking for a return to winning ways when they take on an improving Ipswich Town side this Tuesday night at Ashton Gate.
The Robins are in the midst of a two-match winless run, while the Tractor Boys will be looking to bag their third straight Championship victory.
Match preview
Bristol City have made a fast start to their league campaign, though they will be somewhat concerned about the slight road bump they have encountered over recent days.
The Robins endured a shock 3-1 defeat at home to relegation candidates Oxford United, and they backed that up with an improved performance against Preston last weekend – one which ended in a goalless draw.
Bristol are now winless in their last two Championship matches, and they will be looking to change that when they return to Ashton Gate for the first time since that surprise collapse against the U’s.
Gerhard Struber and his men boast the second-best attacking record in the competition, scoring 13 goals from their opening seven matches – one more than league leaders Middlesbrough, but five fewer than Coventry City.
The Robins enter Tuesday’s fixture in fourth place, and a win would further strengthen their position in the standings as we head into October.
Ipswich, on the other hand, will be looking to bag their third straight league victory – something they have not managed since April 2024 during their last season in the second tier.
The Tractor Boys enjoyed a 2-1 victory over Portsmouth over the weekend, which backed up their 5-0 thumping of Sheffield United at the start of September.
Sandwiched between those two games was an intriguing clash with Blackburn Rovers, which was abandoned in the 79th minute due to a torrential downpour.
Kieran McKenna’s side were 1-0 down in the match but will now have an opportunity to put things right after the English Football League decided the fixture would be replayed – a decision which infuriated Blackburn.
As things stand, Ipswich have only lost one league game this season and boast one of the strongest defensive records in the competition, conceding just six goals from their opening six games.
Bristol City Championship form:
D D W W L D
Bristol City form (all competitions):
D L W W L D
Ipswich Town Championship form:
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Ipswich Town form (all competitions):
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Team News
Bristol midfielder Max Bird is expected to miss Tuesday’s fixture with a calf injury, with manager Struber recently saying ‘the situation looks not great’.
Rob Atkinson picked up a slight knee strain against Oxford but quickly bounced back and played the full 90 minutes against Preston.
Luke McNally has been out of action since February with an ACL injury, and he is not expected to return until the New Year.
Goalkeeper Max O’Leary remains sidelined after undergoing ankle surgery last July, though he could make his return within the next month or two.
Midfielder Joe Williams and Cameron Pring are also sidelined, with both carrying ankle injuries.
Ipswich, meanwhile, remain without long-term absentee Wes Burns, though manager McKenna revealed that the player has started individual training. Despite this, the Town boss refused to provide timescales on the winger’s potential return.
Ashley Young has made just one full 90-minute appearance in the Championship this season, which came at home against Derby at the end of August. Last Saturday, the 40-year-old came off the bench for the final 10 minutes of the 2-1 win over Portsmouth.
Bristol City possible starting lineup: Vitek; Atkinson, Dickie, Vyner; McCrorie, Randell, Knight, Sykes; Mehmeti, Twine; Riis
Ipswich Town possible starting lineup: Palmer; Davis, Kipre, O’Shea, Furlong; Cajuste, Matusiwa; Philogene, Egeli, Szmodics; Hirst
We say: Bristol City 1-1 Ipswich Town
Bristol have enjoyed a strong start to the season, though their last two performances have been a little underwhelming.
Ipswich will be looking to take full advantage, and they will be buoyed by a solid head-to-head record – one which includes a season double last term. Bearing everything in mind, we are backing a draw.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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