
Two title contenders lock horns on matchday one of the new Championship season as
Birmingham City host Ipswich Town. Chris Davies’ newly promoted side are amongst the
favourites to win the league, while the Tractor Boys are hoping to return to the Premier League
at the first time of asking. An intriguing battle at St. Andrews awaits on Friday night.
Birmingham City are back in the Championship. Tom Brady’s first season as owner was
catastrophic to say the least, but having opened the cheque book, his team returned in style.
But their owners aren’t settling for a solid season back at this level - their dream of the Premier League isn’t going to be put on hold any longer. Not only has their squad from last season
largely remained, but the club moved quickly to secure the signatures of Kyogo Furuhashi and
Demarai Gray, strengthening a squad that was already capable of a top six finish.
With Jay Stansfield back fit and firing, Birmingham are looking to replicate what Ipswich Town
did on their quest for Premier League football. On paper, it looks entirely possible and this
opening match will be a good indication of where they are.
Ipswich are 3/1 favourites with Betano to win the Championship and it’s hard to knock the current price. With Kieran McKenna still in charge, and with the vast majority of their squad staying loyal to him, there’s every chance they can pull together and have another crack at the Premier League in 12 months time.
The Tractor Boys signed off their pre-season with a 3-0 win over French outfit Auxerre - but will
head to Birmingham with a few casualties. This will be one of their toughest fixtures to date, and
without every player available, McKenna’s job becomes a little more difficult.
Still, this is a new season for Ipswich fans who will be hoping their Premier League experience
will see them come out on top - but this is a tricky fixture to kickstart their campaign.
The last time these two sides locked horns was back in 2024, where both fixtures produced
plenty of goals. Ipswich won 3-1 in front of their fans as marched on to the Premier League,
although they had to battle hard for a 2-2 draw at St. Andrews earlier in the season.
In fact, four of their last five matches have seen both teams find the back of the net, and with so much attacking quality set to be on show on Friday night, that theme looks set to continue. This looks to be a fixture the neutrals won’t want to miss.
Both teams have lofty ambitions to reach the Premier League come may, and while that can
often make for a cagey affair, both Birmingham and Ipswich have too much attacking quality for
this to end in a disappointing draw.
Having collected a staggering 111 points in League One, Birmingham (6/4 with
Betfred) will be
in a confident mood whenever they are at home. Their curtain raiser against the bookmakers
favourites will only add fuel to the fire - and no doubt that St Andrews will be rocking long before kick-off. Birmingham’s defence wasn’t often breached last term, but it’s impossible to ignore what Ipswich have to offer in the final third. When last season in the Championship, the Tractor Boys (39/20 with
BetMGM) scored for fun, averaging well over three goals per match.
The hosts are likely to score in every home match for the upcoming campaign as they aim to
achieve back-to-back promotions, especially with Jay Stansfield leading the line. But keeping
Ipswich quiet will be a tall order.
With both teams unlikely to hold back in this exciting curtain raiser, defences may be half a yard
off the pace in the first week or two, and that can see both teams find the back of the net at 4/5 with
Betfred. Good luck to those that follow.
For those looking to enjoy a free bet for the Championship’s opener, you must check out
Dabble’s £10 offer. New customers can download their app, create an account and once signed up, you will be rewarded with a completely free £10 bet.

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