Two promotion favourites who have failed to deliver meet at Portman Road, as under-fire Sheffield United boss Rubén Sellés takes his side to Portman Road to face Ipswich Town. EFL Championship
Our Three Predictions For Ipswich Town vs Sheffield United:
- First Prediction For Ipswich Town vs Sheffield United: Match Result – Ipswich Town – 3/4
- Second Prediction For Ipswich Town vs Sheffield United: Under 1.5 Goals – 11/5
- Third Prediction For Ipswich Town vs Sheffield United: Both Teams To Score – No – 9/10
First Prediction For Ipswich Town vs Sheffield United: Match Result – Ipswich Town – 3/4
Sitting 20th and 24th respectively in the Championship standings, these two promotion contenders will have hoped for much better starts to the season than their three combined three draws. A two-week international break was well-needed for both to get on the training pitch and get back to basics. The only solace Ipswich can take from their beginning to the campaign is that they are unbeaten at home after draws with Southampton and Derby County. That should be the springboard for a first three-point haul of the season this Friday evening against the Blades.
Second Prediction For Ipswich Town vs Sheffield United: Under 1.5 Goals – 11/5
It has been staggering how toothless these two teams have been in attack this term, given the forward options at their disposals. The Blades have been blunted in their last three games, failing to score a league goal since Tyreese Campbell struck fourteen minutes into the season. Ipswich have fared little better, twice scoring from the spot and needing a comical own goal after a series of defensive errors to lead against Southampton. The Tractor Boys have yet to score from open play of their own accord, requiring a combination of a set-piece and goalkeeping error to take the lead against Derby County. Expect a single-goal affair this week.
Third Prediction For Ipswich Town vs Sheffield United: Both Teams To Score – No – 9/10
Despite the attacking woes of both, they have been marginally better in defensive areas. Until the two all draw with Derby, the Tracor Boys had conceded once in each of their first four games across all competitions. Likewise, the Blades have shipped once in their last three Championship outings. Five of the last six matches between the two have seen at least one side fail to find the net, so expect more of the same in the first meeting for six years on Friday evening.
Best Odds For Ipswich Town vs Sheffield United
| Bookmaker | Ipswich Town | Draw | Sheffield United |
| MyriadPlay | 3/4 | 13/5 | 29/10 |
| Gentleman Jim | 17/20 | 13/5 | 3/1 |
| Betarno | 4/5 | 5/2 | 29/10 |
The table above shows the latest odds from leading football betting websites.
Full Preview Of The Game: Last Results And Head-To-Head:
It’s been a miserable return to the Championship for Kieran McKenna’s outfit so far this term, followng a whirlwind few years since the Tractor Boys were languishing in the third tier at the start of the decade. After accumulating 98 points on the way to automatic promotion from that level, they returned to a division where they had spent virtually all this millennium before relegation. After another incredible promotion, a valiant effort in the top flight was in vain as the Suffolk side dropped immediately out of the Premier League. Now, for the first time under his stewardship, the pressure is on McKenna for an immediate return. And it is fair to say that they have failed to deliver before the international break. Second best at St. Andrews on the opening weekend, George Hirst’s stoppage-time penalty rescued a point against Birmingham City. Spot-kicks became the enemy the following week, as Ipswich crashed out of the Carabao Cup at the hands of League Two Bromley. Another tough encounter awaited in the second tier against Southampton, though a nightmare defensive goal from the Saints gifted the Tractor Boys the opener in a lively draw.
Their star-studded attack on paper failed to translate onto the pitch once more at Deepdale, losing out to Milutin Osmajic’s early penalty against Preston North End. Finally scoring from open play two weeks ago against Derby County, Jacob Greaves’ header looked in vain heading into an extended period of stoppage time. But a spot-kick awarded fourteen minutes into second half added time allowed Jack Clarke to convert from twelve yards and salvage another point. Omari Hutchinson (Nottingham Forest) and Liam Delap (Chelsea) have fetched fees of close to £70m combined, while Nathan Broadhead’s move to Wrexham provided another £7.5m of guaranteed funds into the transfer kitty. Sindre Walle Egeli became the Championship’s record transfer and Ipswich’s eleventh signing of a busy window for a fee of £17.5m. Kasey McAteer was poached from promotion rivals Leicester City, while headlines were made when Marcelino Núñez crossed the East Anglian divide from fierce rivals Norwich City, becoming the first such player to do so since 2001. Conor Chaplin was a surprising loss, and leaves a huge void, though he did move back to boyhood club Portsmouth.
Rubén Sellés is a man under huge pressure to deliver at Sheffield United, having replaced legendary ex-Blades boss Chris Wilder. The circumstances surrounding his departure were very strange, waiting until mid-June to relieve him of his duties after more Play-Off heartbreak. Ten Play-Off campaigns have now ended in disappointment, never winning promotion via the end of season competition, leaving them with the worst record of any EFL club. That has been made more frustrating by the business that Wembley victors Sunderland have done on their return to the top-flight, and how the Black Cats have begun the season, leaving Blades fans wondering what if they had been successful underneath the arch. Instead, Sheffield United are the only side in the Football League yet to pick up a point, losing all five of their matches across all competitions. Even goals have alluded them since Gus Hamer’s sensational effort against Birmingham City in Round One of the Carbao Cup. But a late Jay Stansfield meant more misery in the Second City, after a humiliating humbling on the opening weekend by Bristol City.
In a repeat of the Play-Off Semi-Final, in which the South Yorkshire side were comfortable six-nil victors across two legs, the Robins got revenge in a four-one thrashing. Tyreese Campbell, who brought them on terms, is the only other Blades man to score this season in a game they dominated, though the scoreline tells a different story. Since then, three successive single-goal defeats have followed against Swansea City, Millwall and Middlesbrough, the latter topping the table with a contrasting record to the Blades’ four league losses. A lot of the dissapointment over the summer stemmed from their transfer business, namely the loss of Vini Souza (VfL Wolfsburg), Anel Ahmedhodzic (Feyenoord), Kieffer Moore (Wrexham) and Jack Robinson (Birmingham City). On the flip side, Nils Zätterström (Malmö FF) was a sizeable incoming in terms of the fee paid, while the Bulgarian market was used to scout out Ehije Ukaki and Mihail Polendakov. Experienced Premier League players Danny Ings and Ben Mee were signed from West Ham and Brentford respectively, while Tyler Bindon (Nottingham Forest) and Louie Barry (Aston Villa) are two of the loanees to arrive in South Yorkshire.
Confrontation |
Where To Watch Ipswich Town vs Sheffield United:
Where can I watch the game, either on TV or in person?
- Location: Portman Road, Ipswich
- Date: Friday 12th September, 2025
- TV Channel: Sky Sports Football & Main Event
Probable Lineups For Ipswich Town vs Sheffield United:
Predicted Ipswich Town Lineup:
- Lineup: Palmer, Young, O’Shea, Greaves, Davis, Cajuste, Matusiwa, Szmodics, J Clarke, Philogene, Hirst
- Suspended/Injured: H Clarke, Townsend, Núñez
- Coach: Kieran McKenna
Predicted Sheffield United Lineup:
- Lineup: Cooper, Godfrey, Tanganga, Bindon, Burrows, O’Hare, Peck, Hamer, Brooks, Campbell, Barry
- Suspended/Injured: Davies, Shackleton, Arblaster
- Coach: Rubén Sellés
