Ipswich star who could be at AFCON is surprise weak link Portsmouth can take advantage of at Portman Road
Portsmouth travel to Ipswich on Saturday for one of their tougher away fixtures of the season.
Ipswich were relegated from the Premier League last season and have incredibly good form at Portman Road. They dismantled Sheffield United 5-0 in their last home match.
Portsmouth are looking to rebuild their confidence after losing 2-0 to Sheffield Wednesday last Saturday.
John Mousinho will be without several key players as injuries begin to mount up at Fratton Park.
However, they may have a good chance of securing a positive result if they can target Ipswich’s weak link.
Portsmouth must target Ipswich debutant Cedric Kipre
Ipswich’s match last weekend against Blackburn was postponed with ten minutes remaining due to heavy rain. The Tractor Boys had defender Jacob Greaves sent off in that match as well, but the EFL has ordered it to be replayed from the start in an 11 v 11 contest.
That verdict is being viewed as a lucky break for Ipswich, who looked destined to fall to a defeat at Ewood Park.
The bad news for them is that Greaves will still be suspended against Portsmouth.
Cedric Kipre, who came on as a substitute against Blackburn, is the favourite to step into the Ipswich defence.
This match will be Kipre’s official debut, as the appearance against Blackburn is essentially voided, and Portsmouth must surely target him if they want to get some joy out of the Ipswich defence.
Kipre has previous experience in the Championship with West Brom and Wigan and has one cap this year for the Africa Cup of Nations-bound Ivory Coast. However, his lack of match practice and unfamiliarity with his teammates make him the weak link in Kieran McKenna’s team.
If Josh Murphy is fit for Portsmouth, he’ll be instructed to get some early balls into the box to test this new defensive pairing.
How is Portsmouth’s record against Ipswich?
Ipswich are strong favourites to beat Portsmouth, as they have retained a decent amount of the squad who competed in the Premier League last season.
They also have:
- scored nine goals in their first five games
- a great home record
- fewer injuries than Portsmouth
The Tractor Boys are unbeaten in their last four league games against Pompey, having won twice and drawn twice against them most recently in League One.
Overall, Ipswich slightly edge it. Of the 52 games played between the two teams, Ipswich have won 21, Portsmouth have won 17, while 14 matches were drawn.
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