“Beaten again”: Ipswich Town vs Stoke City predictions

The72’s writers have shared their predictions ahead of Ipswich Town’s Championship showdown with Stoke City on Wednesday night.

Ipswich Town go into the midweek fixture full of confidence following an impressive 3-0 victory over league leaders Coventry City.

The Tractor Boys are showing steady improvement under Kieran McKenna, with just one defeat in their last five matches. Currently sitting fourth in the Championship table, Ipswich are only five points behind second-placed Middlesbrough.

Form at Portman Road has been a major strength for McKenna’s side this season. Ipswich have suffered only one home defeat so far, winning half of their matches on home soil. Defensively, they boast the second-best record in the division.

Stoke City, meanwhile, travel to Suffolk with the league’s strongest defensive record but find themselves in worrying form.

The Potters have lost four of their last five outings and are beginning to slide down the standings. Mark Robins’ men sit sixth after suffering a heavy 4-0 defeat to Sheffield United last weekend—a result that reflects their recent struggles.

Although Stoke’s away form has generally been respectable this term, their last two trips have ended in defeat.

Their most recent away win came at the start of November, and they now face a difficult task in trying to halt their losing run.

Below, two of The72’s writers offer their predictions for the clash:

Euan Walsh
“Ipswich Town will be brimming with confidence going into this one. Their convincing win over Coventry highlighted the quality they have and the heights they can reach this season.

“Stoke City won’t relish the visit to Portman Road. Robins’ side are on a poor run of form and don’t look likely to turn things around anytime soon.

I can’t see them getting anything from this match, and I expect Ipswich to claim another victory and close the gap to the automatic promotion spots.”

Prediction: Ipswich Town 2-0 Stoke City

James Ray
“This is another crucial game for Ipswich in their pursuit of the top two. While the hosts are improving, Stoke’s run of four defeats in five has seen them lose momentum.

“There was always a sense that the Potters might have been slightly outperforming expectations near the top of the table. Recent results are now catching up with them, and they’re beginning to slip.

“Stoke are a solid side, but they’ll need to be much stronger defensively.

Ipswich have enough quality to punish them if they’re not at their best. I don’t think it will be as heavy a defeat as the one against Sheffield United, but I do see the visitors falling short again.”

Prediction: Ipswich Town 2-0 Stoke City