Stakes High at Portman Road as Ipswich Town Meets Nottingham Forest
As Ipswich Town takes on Nottingham Forest on March 15, 2025, the clash at Portman Road promises to be pivotal for both teams. Ipswich, languishing in 18th place in the Premier League, are desperate to break out of a nine-game winless streak. Forest, comfortably sitting in third, have their sights firmly set on Champions League qualifications.
For Ipswich, the situation is dire. Six key players, including Axel Tuanzebe and Arijanet Muric, are sidelined due to injuries. This leaves manager Kieran McKenna scrambling for options in his starting eleven, particularly at right-back, where either Dara O’Shea or Ben Johnson might fill in. Meanwhile, Kalvin Phillips, despite his recent unsteady performances, is expected to anchor the midfield.
On the other side, Nottingham Forest is relatively free from major injury concerns. Their only absentee is backup goalkeeper Carlos Miguel. This likely allows them to field an unchanged lineup following their narrow victory over Manchester City. Forest’s key player, Morgan Gibbs-White, seems poised to shine as he attempts to rebound from his recent exclusion from the England squad.
Lineups, Betting Odds, and Broadcast Details
The predicted lineups for the match reflect the contrasting fortunes of the two teams. Ipswich is expected to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, featuring Palmer; O’Shea, Woolfenden, Greaves, Davis; Phillips, Cajuste; Philogene, Enciso, Clarke; and Delap. Forest, mirroring this setup, will likely deploy Sels; Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo, Williams; Dominguez, Anderson; Elanga, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; with Wood upfront.
While the game won't be broadcast live in the UK, fans can catch the highlights on Sky Sports and BBC’s Match of the Day. For those interested in the betting scene, a Bet Builder with odds at 16/5 includes a prediction for Forest to win, Liam Delap to commit over 1.5 fouls, and Neco Williams to have over 0.5 shots on target.
Despite Forest’s recent struggles on the road, where they've lost their last three away matches, they remain favorites against an Ipswich side that has slipped close to the relegation zone. Their strength against Ipswich in recent history, being unbeaten in their last five meetings, coupled with their current form, paints a challenging picture for the Tractor Boys.