Match Preview: Ipswich Town v Bristol City (Tuesday, 8pm)

Ipswich Town face a challenge to maintain their high-scoring form at home against a tight Bristol City defence on Tuesday.

With 70 goals in 35 games, Ipswich are the second-highest scorers in the Championship ahead of the 8pm kick-off at Portman Road.

They face a Robins side who have scored 39 in 35 matches, but conceded only 40 goals, putting them joint-fourth among the league’s tightest defences – only Leicester City, Leeds United and West Bromwich Albion have conceded fewer goals.

Ipswich are second in the table after 35 games, of which they have won 22 and drawn nine, earning 75 points.

City are 11 places behind Town in 13th, with 12 wins and eight draws putting them on 44 points.

The Blues are in fantastic form in the Championship, with five wins and a draw from their last six games.

With two wins and four losses over that period, the Robins’ form is much worse – they have taken six points from 18, compared to the home side’s 16.

In the last 10 years, Ipswich and City have played each other on nine occasions. Ipswich won two of them, City five, and they drew twice.

On average, the Blues scored 1.1 goals and the Robins 1.7 in those matches.

Their last meeting was on October 25, when Ipswich won 1-0 away.

In Václav Hladký, Ipswich can rely on one of the league’s safest pair of hands. He has kept 11 clean sheets in his 35 appearances this season, and only two other ‘keepers – West Bromwich Albion’s Alex Palmer and Leeds United’s Illan Meslier – have been able to prevent the opposition scoring on more occasions in the Championship.

In the visitors’ net, Max O’Leary has seven clean sheets in 35 games.

Ipswich’s last match was on Saturday, a 2-0 win against Plymouth Argyle, with Brendan Galloway (own goal) and Kieffer Moore getting the goals for the Blues.

City lost 1-0 against Cardiff City last time out, also on Saturday.

Tuesday’s match will be refereed by David Webb, who has taken charge of 23 Championship games so far this season, issuing one red card and booking 95 players. He has awarded three penalties.

The last Ipswich game Webb refereed was a 0-0 home draw with Queens Park Rangers on December 29. His last City match was their 1-0 win at home against Coventry City on October 21.

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Ipswich Town v Bristol City
Championship | Portman Road
Tuesday, 5 March 2024 @ 8.00pm

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