Portman Road feels different when Ipswich Town are in the mix. There’s a hum around the place again, not loud, not cocky, just that steady confidence that comes when a team knows what it is. Blackburn Rovers come in from the other end of the table, carrying knocks, carrying frustration, carrying the sort of season […]
Portman Road feels different when Ipswich Town are in the mix.
There’s a hum around the place again, not loud, not cocky, just that steady confidence that comes when a team knows what it is.
Blackburn Rovers come in from the other end of the table, carrying knocks, carrying frustration, carrying the sort of season where one good week can vanish in a heartbeat.
It’s a meeting of two clubs heading in opposite directions, but the Championship never cares about that on the day.
Kieran McKenna’s Ipswich don’t really surprise anyone anymore, but they still catch teams out.
The structure is familiar, the patterns are familiar, but the execution is sharp.
Players know their roles, and the whole thing moves like it’s been rehearsed a thousand times.
Ismaël’s Blackburn are harder to pin down. You can see what he wants: intensity, quick breaks, a bit of chaos in the right areas, but injuries have ripped the spine out of his plans.
Sometimes they look organised, while at other times they look patched together. This is one of those fixtures where he’ll need every ounce of discipline from a squad that’s been stretched thin.
This fixture has never been dull. Goals, swings, late moments — it’s had the lot.
Ipswich have had the better of it recently, but Blackburn always seem to drag the game into something scrappy.
Ipswich stick with the 4‑2‑3‑1, and it’s become second nature.
Matusiwa and Taylor give the midfield its engine, Núñez floats into those awkward pockets, and Philogene brings that spark out wide. Akpom isn’t a classic No.9, but he knits everything together.
Blackburn’s 3‑4‑1‑2 is built for moments rather than long spells of control.
Gardner‑Hickman and Tronstad cover ridiculous ground, Cantwell tries to find the gaps, and Baradji and Ohashi run channels all afternoon.
The issue is whether their back three can cope with Ipswich’s rotations — especially with so many defenders missing.
Ipswich: 3rd (P25, W12, D8, L5) – 44 pts
Blackburn: 20th (P25, W7, D7, L11) – 28 pts
Ipswich look like they’ve steadied themselves again—three wins, a clean sheet, and goals coming from different areas.
Plenty of graft, not enough punch. The Wrexham defeat still hangs over them.
Walton; Furlong, O’Shea, Kipré, Davis; Matusiwa, Taylor; Walle Egeli, Núñez, Philogene; Akpom
Injuries: Townsend, Hirst
Pears; Atcheson, McLoughlin, Pratt; Miller, Gardner‑Hickman, Tronstad, Pickering; Cantwell; Baradji, Ohashi
Injuries: Alebiosu, Forshaw, Guodjohnsen, Kargbo, Carter, Garrett, Litherland, Hedges, Morishita, Wharton, Tavares
Ipswich’s width could tilt the whole thing.
If Davis and Philogene get rolling, Blackburn’s wing‑backs will be pinned deep, and that kills their transitions.
Núñez drifting into the half‑spaces is another headache waiting to happen.
Blackburn’s hope is in the chaos. Baradji running channels, Ohashi sniffing around loose balls, Cantwell trying to find that one pass that opens the pitch.
If Ipswich lose the ball in bad areas, Blackburn can hurt them but they’ll need to be ruthless.
Ipswich look settled? Blackburn look stretched. Portman Road usually senses these moments and leans into them.
Prediction: Ipswich Town 2–1 Blackburn Rovers
