Preview: Ipswich and Millwall go head to head in massive game at the top of the Championship
Preview: Ipswich and Millwall go head to head in massive game at the top of the Championship After beating Sheffield Wednesday to put second-placed Middlesbrough within their reach, Ipswich will be looking to leapfrog the Teesiders on Saturday with a win against a Millwall side, who themselves could end up in that second-place spot. Ipswich’s win against Wednesday ended a run of frustrating back-to-back draws against Stoke City and Leicester City, which cooled the side’s charge to the top two. However, with Middlesbrough faltering in recent weeks, Ipswich have the chance to make up for poor recent results by climbing into the automatic places.
After a poor start to the season following a disappointing relegation from the Premier League, Ipswich have regained the form that saw the Tractor Boys earn consecutive promotions to go from League One to the top flight. One team that hasn’t seen many promotions or relegations in recent years are visitors Millwall. The East Londoners have never featured in the play-off’s in the Championship since its change from the second division.
Yet under Alex Neil, the Lions have not only shot up to fourth place and comfortably in the top six, but they could also cement themselves as potential automatic promotion candidates with a win over Ipswich. Three points at Portman Road could ensure Millwall leapfrog second-placed Middlesbrough and into the top two for the first time this season. A run of eight wins in their last nine was abruptly halted last Saturday as they surrendered a goal lead to relegation-threatened Blackburn Rovers.
A disappointing result was compounded by the fact that they flip-flopped in and out of the top two for the first time this season, showing just how congested the promotion places are. One of the main points in Ipswich’s revival has been the re-emergence of Jack Clarke. The former Leeds, Spurs, and Sunderland winger was a revelation in his last Championship season at the Stadium of Light and has since rediscovered that form that was absent during his season in the Premier League with Ipswich.
With 13 goals so far this season, Clarke is the league’s joint-third top scorer after Coventry’s Haji Wright and Swansea’s Zan Vipotnik. He is tied with Hull duo Joe Gelhardt and Oli McBurnie. Fellow winger Jaden Philogene has also been amongst the goals with 10 this season across all competitions, meanwhile striker George Hirst has nine.