Ipswich Town travel to table-topping Leeds United on Saturday afternoon, in front of a sold-out Elland Road crowd. Ipswich will move above Saturday’s opponents, should they take all 3 points.
Leeds United come into the game top of the Championship league table, with five wins, two draws and one defeat from their eight fixtures in the league. Meanwhile, Ipswich are this seasons surprise package so far. Town sit 5th in the league, with 15 points. They have managed five wins and two defeats from their first seven games, despite being one of the early season favourites for relegation.
FORM
Despite sitting pretty in first place, Leeds suffered their first loss of the campaign last time out, succumbing to a 1-0 defeat at Millwall. However, Leeds did manage to get back to winning ways in the Carabao cup on Tuesday night, beating Premier league side Burnley on penalties after the game finished 2-2. They are unbeaten at home in the league this season and have yet to concede a goal at Elland Road. This included the 5-0 demolition of Burton Albion.
Ipswich ended a run of two consecutive defeats by beating bottom of the table Bolton Wanderers 2-0 at Portman Road last weekend. In their previous away game, the Tractor boys were defeated 2-1 by QPR. This represented their first loss on the road in the league this season.
TEAM NEWS
Club captain Liam Cooper is fit again, after the missing the last two games in all competitions with a back injury he suffered in the win over Birmingham. Pontus Jansson and Matthew Pennington are also set to return on Saturday. Jansson picked up a knock last week at Millwall, whilst Pennington suffered an ankle injury on the first day of the season at Bolton. The only injury concern for Thomas Christiansen is Caleb Ekuban, who is still recovering after surgery on a broken foot he sustained at Sunderland last month.
Adam Webster isn’t quite ready for first team action yet. He played 60mins for the u23’s in midweek after he sustained ankle ligament damage in last months 2-0 Carabao Cup triumph over Luton Town. Jonas Knudsen is available for selection again, after recovering from a hamstring injury which kept him out last weeks win over Bolton. Luke Hyam is a doubt, whilst Andre Dozzell, Teddy Bishop, Emyr Huws and Tommy Smith all remain Town’s notable absentees.
HEAD TO HEAD
Leeds United just about edge the head to head record between the two sides. On 31 occasions, Leeds have managed to come out on top, whilst Ipswich have come out victorious 27 times. In last seasons meeting at Elland Road, Town were defeated by a goal to nil, courtesy of a Chris Wood header. (11v11)
PREDICTION
Elland Road has been a fortress for Leeds over the last year and I can’t see that changing on Saturday. Leeds’ attacking threat will be far too much for Ipswich, despite a promising start to the season for the Tractor Boys.
