The two best EFL Championship teams will lock horns on Boxing Day, as Ipswich Town and Leicester City meet at Portman Road.
The 2023/24 EFL Championship season will continue with the traditional Boxing Day fixture. The action on Tuesday will begin with the game between Preston North End and Leeds United while ending at Portman Road, where Ipswich Town will host the table-topping Leicester City.
The Ipswich Town story under Kieran McKenna has grabbed many eyeballs. This time last year, the Tractor Boys were in League One, with McKenna overseeing a run of one defeat in 14 games to end the campaign. The Blues have risen to second in the EFL Championship standings, only six points behind Leicester City.
Speaking of Leicester City, the Foxes are the resounding favourites to return to the Premier League. Enzo Maresca has hit the ground running at the King Power Stadium, hitting the ground running this term. The visitors are steamrolling the Championship and should seal an automatic promotion berth.
The most recent clash featuring Ipswich Town and Leicester City came in 2014, with the Foxes cruising to a 3-0 win. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Ipswich Town
Kieran McKenna does not have any new injury concerns hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. Against Leicester City on Tuesday, the Ipswich Town manager will have a full-strength squad.
Vaclav Hladky should take his spot between the sticks, with Ipswich Town lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him. The backline will likely feature Harry Clarke, Luke Woolfenden, Cameron Burgess, and Leif Davis, although Brandon Williams has also made a case for a place in the team.
As for the midfield unit, Massimo Luongo and captain Samy Morsy will pair up in the double pivot. The duo will look to keep things tight in the middle of the park while providing the forward thrust to link up with the attack.
Conor Chaplin should reprise the no. 10 role, although he will often arrive late in the box to come at the end of the opportunities. Omari Hutchinson and Nathan Broadhead should be the two wide attackers, with George Hirst spearheading the Ipswich Town attack against Leicester City.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Hladky; Clarke, Woolfenden, Burgess, Davis; Morsy, Luongo; Hutchinson, Chaplin, Broadhead; Hirst
Leicester City
Unlike his counterpart in the Ipswich Town dugout, Enzo Maresca has a few pressing issues to deal with ahead of the trip to Portman Road. The Leicester City manager will be without four first-team players on Tuesday.
Jamie Vardy is the most notable absentee, with the Englishman recovering from a knock. The veteran striker accompanies Kasey McAteer (unspecified), Callum Doyle (knee), and Marc Albrighton (knee) on the sidelines.
Patson Daka should spearhead the Leicester City attack against Ipswich Town in Vardy’s continued absence. Stephy Mavididi, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, and Abdul Fatawu Isahaku should support the Zambian striker in the final third. Meanwhile, Kelechi Iheanacho will be an option on the bench.
Mads Hermansen is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Leicester City lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him. Ricardo Pereira, Wout Faes, Jannik Vestergaard, and James Justin should protect the goalkeeper. Finally, the midfield unit will likely feature Harry Winks and Wilfred Ndidi.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Hermansen; Pereira, Faes, Vestergaard, Justin; Winks, Ndidi; Fatawu, Dewsbury-Hall, Mavididi; Daka
Key Stats
- Ipswich Town and Leicester City have previously met 70 times in all competitions since 1961. The Blues have a slightly better head-to-head record with 27 wins (D17 L26).
- Ipswich Town have just one win in their last seven meetings against Leicester City, failing to score twice in that period.
- Ipswich Town have lost just two of their last ten games on Boxing Day.
- On the other hand, Leicester City have lost 42 times on Boxing Day across all league competitions.
- Both teams have the joint-best attacking record in the Championship, scoring 47 times in 23 games. Leicester City also have the best defensive record in the competition, conceding 16 goals, half the number of the goals let in by Ipswich.
Player to Watch
Patson Daka
It was not long ago that Patson Daka was a prolific customer in the final third while representing Red Bull Salzburg, often scoring goals at will. But his stock has plummeted since arriving in England, as he has failed to stamp his authority for Leicester City.
The Zambian international has not scored bags of goals this season either. But he heads into Tuesday’s fixture on the back of scoring a match-winning brace, his first first league double since moving to England. So, Daka will be high on confidence, hoping to make his mark again at Portman Road.
Prediction
Ipswich Town 1-2 Leicester City
With the two best teams in the EFL Championship locking horns on Tuesday, fireworks should be on the cards. Ipswich Town’s home record is top-notch, but they will take on the best travellers in the EFL Championship, with Leicester City having the best tally on the road.
So, an evenly contested fixture is on the card to end the proceedings on Boxing Day. In the end, there should be very little to separate the two sides. But Kelechi Iheanacho should appear off the bench to deliver the goods for Leicester City, who will eke out a narrow 2-1 win at Portman Road on Tuesday.
