20:00 Friday

Last season's League One champions, Birmingham, open the new Championship campaign with a tough test against Ipswich Town, who return to the second tier after suffering relegation from the Premier League.

Birmingham vs Ipswich Prediction

  • Birmingham head into the 2025/26 campaign as the strongest promoted side since Ipswich’s own rise two years ago.
  • The Blues stormed to the League One title last season with a record-breaking 111 points.
  • Chris Davies has overseen ambitious summer recruitment, but questions remain over how his possession-heavy style will fare in the Championship.
  • Ipswich return to the second tier in a strong position to bounce back.
  • Despite losing key forward Liam Delap, Kieran McKenna’s side still carry attacking threat.
  • The signing of Dutch midfielder Azor Matusiwa is a statement of intent and adds steel to their midfield.
  • Both sides are adjusting to new realities, and while Birmingham have momentum, Ipswich’s experience at a higher level could balance things out.

Score Prediction: Birmingham 1-1 Ipswich Town

 

Birmingham vs Ipswich Lineups

Birmingham vs Ipswich Town predicted lineups are brought to you by WhoScored.com.

Birmingham Predicted Lineup vs Ipswich

James Beadle, Ethan Laird, Christoph Klarer, Phil Neumann, Bright Osayi-Samuel, Paik Seung-Ho, Tommy Doyle, Yosuke Iwata, Jordan Gray, Jay Stansfield, Kyogo Furuhashi

Ipswich Predicted Lineup vs Birmingham

Alex Palmer, Ashley Young, Jacob Greaves, Dara O’Shea, Brandon Johnson, Azor Matusiwa, Jack Taylor, Harry Clarke, Sammie Szmodics, Jaden Philogene, George Hirst

Birmingham vs Ipswich Town Team News

Birmingham:

  • Chris Davies could hand debuts to James Beadle, Bright Osayi-Samuel, and Kyogo Furuhashi.
  • Eiran Cashin, Christoph Klarer, and Phil Neumann are all options at centre-back.
  • Tyler Roberts and Kanya Fujimoto are ruled out with injuries.

Ipswich Town:

  • Conor Townsend and Jaden Philogene are doubts after picking up knocks in pre-season.
  • Leif Davis also missed the final friendly with a knock.
  • Harry Clarke is sidelined with a knee injury.
  • Ashley Young could make his debut at left-back.

 

 

Birmingham vs Ipswich Odds

Result Odds
Birmingham 6/4
Draw 12/5
Ipswich 2/1

 

Birmingham vs Ipswich Bet Builder Tips

Our bet builder tips for Birmingham vs Ipswich Town features Kyogo Furuhashi anytime goalscorer, Azor Matusiwa 2+ fouls & Jay Stansfield 1+ shot on target.

At the time of publishing it is a best price of 8.69/1 with Paddy Power.

Kyogo Furuhashi – Anytime Goalscorer

Furuhashi arrives with a strong scoring record at Celtic and is expected to lead the line.

He struggled in the short time he spent at at Rennes but an impressive record of 85 goals in 165 games at Celtic suggests he can make an impact in the Championship.

Azor Matusiwa – 2+ Fouls

Matusiwa is known for his ball-winning ability and will be key in midfield battles.

He averaged over 2.5 tackles per game in Ligue 1 last season and should be busy against Birmingham’s possession-based style.

He averaged one foul per game last season in Ligue One and we should see that increase with the physicality of the Championship.

Jay Stansfield – 1+ Shot on Target

Stansfield has looked sharp in pre-season and is expected to play off Furuhashi.

He scored 19 goals in 37 appearances last season and hit the target 39 times.