Sabasports Match Preview
Championship: Birmingham City vs Ipswich Town
Kickoff Time: 2025-08-09 03:00 (HKT)
Source: REUTERS/John Sibley
Birmingham City was the winners of the League One last season. They were the top scorers and the team with the fewest goals conceded in the league. Their last league loss dates back to early March this year. In the summer transfer window, the club made significant investments, spending 10.75 million euros on new signings. The most notable addition is Japanese international striker Kyogo Furuhashi, who scored 10 goals and provided three assists in the Scottish Premiership last season and has experience in the UEFA Champions League. On the defensive side, they signed German center-back Phil Neumann, who played 33 matches for Hanover 96 in the Bundesliga last season, missing only one game due to a suspension from accumulating yellow cards. In midfield, Tommy Doyle, a backup midfielder on loan from Wolves in the Premier League, became the second-most expensive player in the squad. It is clear that all three lines of Birmingham have improved significantly. From pre-season preparations, Birmingham is in an upward trend. In their latest friendly match, they surprisingly defeated Nottingham Forest, who has qualified for European competition this season.
Ipswich Town was relegated from the Premier League as the second-bottom team last season. Their last league win dates back to early April this year. In the summer transfer window, the club suffered major losses, having already made 24 million euros in profit from transfers. Their top scorer, Liam Delap, has joined Chelsea, scoring 12 goals and providing two assists last season. Defender Cameron Burgess, who made 18 league appearances, and right-back Axel Tuanzebe, who made 22 appearances, have both left. Midfielder Sam Morsy, who made 33 appearances, also left. Additionally, attacking midfielder Omari Hutchinson, who made 31 appearances last season, is also considering a move. This means that the team’s core is undergoing a major rebuild. The only new signings are positional replacements, including French Ligue 1 midfielder Azor Matusiwa from Rennes, 40-year-old former Manchester United star Ashley Young, and center-back Cedric Kipre on loan from Lens in Ligue 1. Overall, the team’s attacking and defensive strength has declined significantly.
This is the opening match of the EFL Championship season. The home team usually has higher motivation. Looking at historical records, teams that won the EFL League One and then faced their first home game in the Championship have a very high unbeaten rate. In the past nine seasons, their record was five wins, three draws, and one loss, with an unbeaten rate of 88.89%. With multiple factors in play, Birmingham, playing at home, deserves to be favored.
Birmingham City‘s Last 5 Games: LWWWW
25-07-13 Svilla 1-3 Birmingham City
25-05-03 Cambridge United 1-2 Birmingham City
25-05-01 Blackpool 0-2 Birmingham City
25-04-27 Birmingham City 4-0 Mansfield Town
25-04-25 Stevenage 0-1 Birmingham City
Ipswich Town‘s Last 5 Games: LLLDL
25-05-25 Ipswich Town 1-3 West Ham United
25-05-18 Leicester City 2-0 Ipswich Town
25-05-10 Ipswich Town 0-1 Brentford
25-05-03 Everton 2-2 Ipswich Town
25-04-26 Newcastle United 3-0 Ipswich Town
Head-To-Head Record
24-02-24 Ipswich Town 3-1 Birmingham City
23-11-04 Birmingham City 2-2 Ipswich Town
19-04-13 Ipswich Town 1-1 Birmingham City
18-09-29 Birmingham City 202 Ipswich Town
18-03-31 Birmingham City 1-0 Ipswich Town
Prediction: Birmingham City to win or Draw