Leicester City host Ipswich Town at the King Power Stadium, and it’s one of those games that sort of creeps up on you.
It’s not a headline fixture, but it’s quietly important for both sides.
Ipswich arrive in the top four and are looking pretty settled, while Leicester are stuck in that awkward mid‑table zone where one good run changes everything and one bad week drags you into trouble.
Both teams use a 4‑2‑3‑1, both have had very different journeys this season, and it feels like one of those matches where the details matter more than the occasion.
Managers: Cifuentes v McKenna
Martí Cifuentes is still trying to get Leicester fully tuned into his style.
You can see what he wants: long spells on the ball, patient build‑up, full‑backs high, midfielders rotating. Sometimes it looks great.
Other times it looks like they’re thinking their way through every pass instead of playing naturally. They’re not a bad side, just not a settled one.
McKenna’s Ipswich are the opposite. They look like a team that knows exactly what it is.
His 4‑2‑3‑1 has a rhythm to it, energetic, organised, and surprisingly calm under pressure.
Even when Ipswich aren’t at their best, they rarely look lost.
That’s probably the biggest difference between the two managers right now: one is building, the other is refining.
Head‑to‑Head
The recent meetings between these two have been tight, even if Leicester have taken the clearer wins:
- 22 Feb 2014 – Leicester 3-0 Ipswich
- 26 Dec 2023 – Ipswich 1-1 Leicester
- 22 Jan 2024 – Leicester 1-1 Ipswich
- 02 Nov 2024 – Ipswich 1-1 Leicester
- 18 May 2025 – Leicester 2-0 Ipswich
Ipswich have held Leicester to three straight draws in the middle of that run, but the Foxes’ two victories were both comfortable.
It’s never a wild fixture, but it’s rarely dull either.
Form & League Position
Ipswich come into this one sitting 4th with 34 points from 20 games (W9, D7, L4). Their last five results look like a team in decent shape:
- Hull 0-2 Ipswich – W
- Oxford 2-1 Ipswich – L
- Blackburn 1-1 Ipswich – D
- Ipswich 3-0 Coventry – W
- Ipswich 1-0 Stoke – W
Not perfect, but steady. And steady is usually enough in this league.
Leicester are 14th with 28 points, and their last five tell the story of a team that can’t quite string things together:
- Leicester 2-1 Stoke – W
- Southampton 3-0 Leicester – L
- Leicester 2-3 Sheffield United – L
- Derby 1-3 Leicester – W
- Bristol City 2-2 Leicester – D
They’re unpredictable, which is both a strength and a problem.
Predicted Lineups
Ipswich (4‑2‑3‑1): Walton; Furlong, O’Shea, Kipré, Davis; Matusiwa, Taylor; Walle‑Egeli, Núñez, Philogene; Hirst.
Injury: Conor Townsend.
Leicester (4‑2‑3‑1): Stolarczyk; Pereira, Nelson, Vestergaard, Thomas; James, Skipp; Fatawu, Cordova‑Reid, Mavididi; Ayew.
Injuries: Ramsey, Soumaré, Memeh, Okoli, Souttar, Kristiansen.
Tactical Outlook
Because both sides use a 4‑2‑3‑1, the midfield becomes the real battleground.
Leicester will try to slow the game down, keep the ball, and stretch Ipswich with their full‑backs.
Fatawu and Mavididi give them pace, and Ayew is always a handful physically.
Ipswich will be more selective with their press. Hirst will lead it, Núñez will drift into pockets, and Philogene will look to run at people whenever he gets the chance.
Matusiwa and Taylor give Ipswich a solid base, and Davis, as usual, will be important in pushing the team up the pitch.
Ipswich tend to be the more stable side structurally. Leicester rely more on moments. That’s not always a bad thing, but it’s harder to trust.
Prediction
Leicester will have spells where they look in control, especially at the King Power, but Ipswich arrive with more momentum and a clearer identity.
It feels like the kind of match where Ipswich’s organisation and transitions might just edge it.
Prediction: Leicester City 1-2 Ipswich Town
