Key events<\/p>\n
The teams are out!<\/strong> Ipswich in blue, Liverpool<\/a> in red. A wonderful start-of-the-weekend, possibly-a-few-pints-to-the-good atmosphere under the lights at Portman Road! Not long now. In the meantime, here\u2019s Dave Estherby with some pre-match words of encouragement for Liverpool: <\/strong>\u201cNot really sure what\u2019s going on upstairs at Anfield. Another summer where they\u2019ve spaffed money up the wall for unproven PL players without realising they need a goalkeeper, two full backs, a centre half, two forwards, a winger and a replacement for whatever Mac Allister is supposed to do. AND back up for Ekitike who probably won\u2019t play until the new year at least. Shambles. I feel sorry for Iraola, he couldn\u2019t really turn them down but it might end up a backwards step.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Pre-match postbag.<\/strong> \u201cLeaving aside Liverpool\u2019s less than imperial start to the season, you have to admit that\u2019s a very tasty teamsheet on offer tonight – the right blend of youth, experience, Hungary\u2019s answer to Bryan Robson and a World Cup winner in the middle of the park, a striker coveted by Man City, a Champions League winner on the bench and in Wirtz our very own Juan Sebastian Veron!\u201d \u2013 Peadar de Burca<\/p>\n \u201cWhy\u2019s Wataru Endo still at Liverpool? He\u2019s 33 and hardly played last season under Slot. Iraola hasn\u2019t included him in the Champions League roster so apparently he doesn\u2019t think much more of him that Slot did. He\u2019s got a good couple of years left in him as a DM somewhere\u201d \u2013 Tony Hughes<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m worried that Liverpool\u2019s new signing might not be aggressive enough for the league. I hear his Barcola is worse than his bite-ola\u201d \u2013 Niall Mullen<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n It\u2019s a proper mid-table clash tonight: 12th versus 13th.<\/strong> Tonight\u2019s winner will almost certainly end the evening in fifth place; should the game end in a draw, Ipswich will make it into the top half of the table, while Liverpool<\/a> would rise to 11th. All to play for!<\/p>\n (The usual po-faced early-season caveats apply, but where\u2019s the harm in it?)<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Gary O\u2019Neil\u2019s turn to speak to Sky Sports.<\/strong> \u201c[The first half at Old Trafford] gives us a big belief that we can compete at this level \u2026 the home win against Sunderland was huge for us \u2026 we don\u2019t really focus on outcome or results, we just try to commit to being the best version of ourselves all the time \u2026 we drifted away from that because of things that happened in the game [at Old Trafford] \u2026 it is important that we are better than that \u2026 we will be tested tonight, I am sure something will go against us \u2026 we can\u2019t go toe to toe \u2026 we need to pick our moments \u2026 that will be really important for us \u2026 you need to be good with the ball \u2026 you can\u2019t hang in there for 38 games of a Premier League<\/a> season \u2026 I\u2019m looking forward to it \u2026 let\u2019s see if we can please this incredible place again \u2026 we\u2019re ready \u2026 the group are in a great spot.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n More from Iraola on Sky.<\/strong> \u201cIt\u2019s not the results you want, the two draws \u2026 we have also been losing both games \u2026 always from behind \u2026 when you start well, everything looks better \u2026 we will try not to concede goals from throw-ins like the other day \u2026 offensively the team is doing well but we are not getting the win \u2026 Alex [Isak] is feeling comfortable after a difficult season \u2026 it\u2019s a good start for him \u2026 Ipswich at home is very strong \u2026 at Old Trafford they played a fantastic first half \u2026 they are doing well \u2026 [we need] to start stronger.\u201d<\/p>\n Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola. Photograph: MI News\/NurPhoto\/ShutterstockShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a014.55 EDT<\/p>\n Sky Sports anchor Kelly Cates asks Andoni Iraola whether he was tempted to start Bradley Barcola.<\/strong> \u201cYes \u2026 honestly I was tempted \u2026 he has looked good training \u2026 but it\u2019s true that he hasn\u2019t played any minutes in pre-season \u2026 he is ready \u2026 I think definitely we will use him in the second half \u2026 but also with some precaution because we do not want to lose him straight away \u2026 it makes sense, no, to have him on the bench \u2026 he is a smart player \u2026 he understands the game \u2026 he is quite shy, he doesn\u2019t speak a lot \u2026 improving his English \u2026 he has his friends with him [Jeremy Jacquet and Hugo Ekitike] who he is more comfortable with \u2026 but he has been really good for the first week \u2026 I hope he does well straight away.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Portman Road has become something of a fortress for Ipswich.<\/strong> They\u2019re unbeaten in 18 league games at home. Seventeen of those matches were in the Championship, admittedly, but you can only deal with what\u2019s put in front of you. Liverpool meanwhile haven\u2019t won any of their last six Premier League<\/a> fixtures, a run that stretches back to April. They\u2019ll be hoping Alexander Isak\u2019s personal form against Ipswich \u2013 he\u2019s scored four in just two games, all for Newcastle United \u2013 will help them snap that sequence.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Ipswich Town make one change to the side sent out to start the 5-2 defeat at Manchester United.<\/strong> Exequiel Palacios, making his full debut for the Tractor Boys, replaces Marcelino N\u00fa\u00f1ez in midfield. Zian Flemming, the new man in from Burnley, is on the bench.<\/p>\n Liverpool also make one change from their last match, the 2-2 draw at Anfield with Nottingham Forest.<\/strong> Ronald Ara\u00fajo replaces Jeremie Frimpong at right-back. The new \u00a3106m signing Bradley Barcola is named as a substitute.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a013.56 EDT<\/p>\n The teams<\/p>\n Ipswich Town:<\/strong> Scherpen, O\u2019Shea, Diop, Greaves, Davis, Lukic, Palacios, Fatawu, Enciso, Maeda, Emersonn. Liverpool:<\/strong> Alisson, Araujo, van Dijk, Jacquet, Kerkez, Mac Allister, Szoboszlai, Wirtz, Munoz, Isak, Gakpo. Referee:<\/strong> Darren England Share<\/a>Preamble<\/p>\n Ipswich Town were spanked 5-2 at Old Trafford last weekend<\/a>, though the bald result doesn\u2019t tell the whole story.<\/strong> Gary O\u2019Neil\u2019s newly promoted side were giving as good as they got until Harlem Globetrotters centre-back Harry Maguire hit paydirt, after which they could be forgiven for concluding it just wasn\u2019t going to be their day. So chalk up just over one-and-a-half satisfying performances from two for the Tractor Boys, whose opening-day win over Sunderland<\/a> means they\u2019ve already notched as many top-flight home victories this season as they did in the whole of their disastrous 2023-24 campaign. They should be feeling pretty good about themselves.<\/p>\n Liverpool on the other hand were borderline abysmal at Newcastle<\/a>, and not much better in the first half last weekend against Nottingham Forest<\/a>.<\/strong> Their second-half display at Anfield, plus improved overall contributions from Cody Gakpo and Florian Wirtz, plus the mega-money signing of Bradley Barcola, should give them succour after consecutive 2-2 draws which have made life for new boss Andoni Iraola more awkward than is strictly necessary.<\/p>\n Given all of the above, would a shock Ipswich win this evening really be <\/strong>that<\/strong> much of a shock?<\/strong> On the other hand, Liverpool have won their last four Premier League matches against Ipswich to the cumulative tune of 17-1. How much importance should be placed on a record that stretches back to the days of Abel Xavier and Emile Heskey<\/a> is a moot point, but it\u2019s something Ipswich will doubtless consider nevertheless. So this is poised rather deliciously. We\u2019ll start finding out what\u2019s what from 8pm BST.<\/strong> It\u2019s on!<\/p>\n
Subs: Walton, Furlong, Kipre, Ouattara, Florentino, Nunez, McAteer, Clarke, Flemming.<\/p>\n
Subs: Mamardashvili, Endo, Tsimikas, Barcola, Frimpong, Gravenberch, Nyoni, Koumas, Ngumoha.<\/p>\n
VAR: Nicholas Hopton<\/p>\n