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Ipswich vs Liverpool: Iraola Aims for First Win at Portman Road

Portman Road gets its first major Friday night spotlight of the season as Ipswich Town welcome Liverpool in a Gameweek 3 clash that already carries a hint of urgency for both dugouts.

Kick-off is at 8:00pm BST in Suffolk (3:00pm ET), with the stadium sold out and the away end long since snapped up via the Liverpool FC Tickets Portal. Liverpool arrive still waiting for their first league win under Andoni Iraola. Ipswich come in nursing bruises from a 5-2 beating by Manchester United. Neither side can afford to drift any further.

Where to Watch Around the World

In the UK, the game is live on Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Main Event, with streaming through NOW TV.

USA Network and FuboTV carry the match in the United States, while FuboTV Canada has coverage north of the border.

Sky Sport shows the game in Germany, Canal+ has it in France. In India and the subcontinent, it’s on Star Sports Select with streaming via Disney+ Hotstar.

Australian viewers can tune in on Optus Sport, while Sky Sport NZ broadcasts the clash in New Zealand. SuperSport MaXimo covers Sub-Saharan Africa, and in South America the fixture is on ESPN with streaming on Disney+.

For those on the move, Liverpool supporters can listen to free live audio commentary via the official Liverpool FC app.

Ipswich Looking for a Response

Ipswich opened their campaign brightly with a win over Sunderland, only to be torn open by Manchester United in that 5-2 defeat. Gary O’Neil’s answer is expected to be structure and numbers behind the ball.

Emersonn is a doubt after limping off last weekend, so O’Neil is likely to lean on a compact five-man back line. Darnell Furlong could be pushed into a wing-back role, asked to shuttle both ways and help lock down Liverpool’s wide threats.

In midfield, Exequiel Palacios is tipped to start centrally ahead of Marcelino Nunez, bringing bite and control in front of the defence.

Ipswich’s predicted XI:

  • Scherpen;
  • Furlong, O’Shea, Diop, Greaves, Davis;
  • Fatawu, Palacios, Lukic, Maeda;
  • Enciso.

It’s a side built to absorb, then spring. But against Liverpool’s front line, any lapse will be punished.

Liverpool’s New Era Still Searching for Lift-Off

Two games, two 2-2 draws. Newcastle and Nottingham Forest have both taken points off Liverpool, and Iraola’s reign has yet to produce that statement win.

The squad has been reshaped at the back after the departures of Mohamed Salah, Ibrahima Konate and Andrew Robertson, leaving Liverpool to rebuild their defensive identity on the fly.

Injuries haven’t helped. Joe Gomez is out, as are Conor Bradley, Hugo Ekitike, Federico Chiesa and Giovanni Leoni. The headline signing, Bradley Barcola, who arrived for €125 million, has travelled with the squad but is expected to start on the bench while he adjusts to Iraola’s demands.

The predicted Liverpool lineup:

  • Alisson;
  • Frimpong, Jacquet, Van Dijk, Kerkez;
  • Gravenberch, Szoboszlai;
  • Munoz, Wirtz, Gakpo;
  • Isak.

One milestone stands out: Dominik Szoboszlai is set to make his 150th appearance for the club, a marker of how central he has become to Liverpool’s new look.

If Iraola wants his pressing, front-foot football to take hold, this is the kind of away game he has to control.

History Favors the Visitors

Portman Road has not been kind to Ipswich when Liverpool roll into town. The Reds are unbeaten in six Premier League visits here, with four wins and two draws.

Defensively, Liverpool have held a tight grip on this fixture. They have not conceded more than one goal in any of their last 11 competitive meetings with Ipswich.

The recent scorelines are brutal reading for the hosts:

  • 4-1 to Liverpool in January 2025
  • 2-0 in August 2024
  • 5-0 in May 2002
  • 6-0 in February 2002
  • 1-0 in December 2000

Yet Gary O’Neil carries his own bit of history into the night. He remains the last manager of a newly promoted side to beat Liverpool in the league, having done it with Bournemouth in 2023. He knows what an upset of this size demands.

Odds, Stakes and Subplots

The bookmakers lean heavily towards the visitors. Liverpool are priced at 11/20 to win, with the draw at 7/2 and an Ipswich victory at 4/1.

On paper, the gulf is clear. On the pitch, under the lights, with a restless home crowd and a Liverpool side still settling into a new era, the margins can tighten quickly.

If Iraola’s Liverpool click, this could be the night their season ignites. If O’Neil finds another upset in his locker, Portman Road might just become the first real shock story of the campaign.

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