Sunderland vs Ipswich Town Prediction: Ipswich will be looking for back to back promotion

Sunderland will welcome Ipswich Town at the Stadium of Light in Gameweek 1 of the English Championship. Ipswich will be looking for back to back promotion. Who will come out on top after 90 minutes?

There is a viewpoint that reaching the Championship playoffs last season should be considered a bonus for Sunderland, even though they were still deeply disappointed to miss out on back-to-back promotions. Tony Mowbray did an excellent job positioning the club for a possible return to the Premier League with wins over Luton Town and Coventry City. Now, the focus is on regaining momentum.

Sunderland has strengthened their squad by bringing in seven players, some to replace departing loanees and fringe players. However, keeping Jack Clarke and Ross Stewart in the team will be just as crucial as any new arrival. The club has emphasized signing young talent, and if they can start the season strongly at the Stadium of Light, they have the potential for another promotion bid.

Despite a six-game undefeated streak in pre-season until their last match, where they lost 5-2 to Hartlepool United, it seems that more depth may be required for Sunderland to be successful.

Patterson; Hume, Ballard, O'Nien, Cirkin; Neil, Ekwah, Roberts, Bellingham, Clarke; Semedo

Ipswich is experiencing a similar surge in momentum that Sunderland had after their promotion 12 months ago. The Tractor Boys can clearly see that it's more than just a phrase. Although Kieran McKenna hasn't made as many additions as some may have expected after a second-placed finish, it's worth noting that the club had already signed Championship-level players in the previous two transfer windows.

Among the new arrivals, midfielder Jack Taylor from Peterborough United, Chelsea playmaker Omari Hutchinson, and the returning former loanee George Hirst are all players who can significantly contribute to the squad. Ipswich had a somewhat unconventional pre-season, playing two matches on the same day on three occasions, but winning the Innsbruck Cup after games with RB Leipzig and Werder Bremen has raised expectations even higher at Portman Road.

Hladky; Edmondson, Woolfenden, Burgess; Jackson, Morsy, Taylor, Davis; Chaplin, Hirst, Hutchinson

Sunday's match promises to be intriguing as two teams with high expectations face off. Ipswich, returning to this level, may be somewhat of an unknown quantity, but they could relish the underdog status at this stage. With that in mind, we predict the Tractor Boys to secure a draw and earn a share of the spoils. They can even go on and win the game so take a double chance for Ipswich Town. Expect under 2.5 goals in the game.