- 1 Ipswich Town vs Leicester City: two divisions apart in eight months
- 2 Ipswich Town have adapted well without McKenna
- 3 Leicester City are hunting for a foothold in the cup
- 4 Football Prediction Ipswich Town vs Leicester City
- 5 Before anything else, a word on our free predictions
- 6 No commitment from us
- 7 Information changes
- 8 Your job
- 9 Responsible gambling first
- 10 Legal age
- 11 About the images…
Ipswich Town vs Leicester City: two divisions apart in eight months 
These two clubs were battling each other in the Championship last season. They meet again on Tuesday 25 August at 20:45 local French time, which is 19:45 on site, with two divisions between them in the table.
Ipswich Town sealed promotion by finishing second in the 2025-26 Championship. Leicester City went the other way and even dropped into League One after ending up 23rd in the same division.
The EFL Cup second round takes place at Portman Road, where Ipswich enter the competition. Leicester have already played one round, edging past Northampton Town 1-0 on 8 August.
The two clubs arrive in completely different places. Ipswich kicked off their Premier League season with a 2-1 win over Sunderland on Saturday, while Leicester are coming off a 2-1 home defeat to Burton Albion.
Recent history, though, adds a wrinkle worth noting. Last season in the Championship, Leicester took four points from six against Ipswich, winning 3-1 in December 2025 before drawing 1-1 on 7 March.
Another reason for Leicester to fancy their chances: they have been excellent away from home. The Foxes are unbeaten in their last six trips in all competitions, with four wins and two draws, and have lost only once in their last eight away games.
Both dugouts changed hands this summer. Gary O’Neil replaced Kieran McKenna at Ipswich, while Russell Martin is trying to steady Leicester after the double relegation.
On paper, the gap is obvious. But cup football muddies the waters. A League One side unbeaten away from home heads to a newly promoted Premier League club that has played just one competitive match.
Ipswich Town have adapted well without McKenna 
Kieran McKenna’s exit this summer had supporters worried. What followed has calmed them down, even if Gary O’Neil’s start was clunky.
The former Bournemouth and Wolverhampton boss lost his first two matches in charge. Ipswich went down 2-1 to Osasuna on 29 July, then 2-0 to Oxford United on 1 August.
After that, the group turned sharply. The Tractor Boys ended pre-season with four straight wins, including a 3-0 victory over Rayo Vallecano and a 4-2 success at Union Berlin.
The opening weekend of the Premier League confirmed the upturn. Ipswich beat Sunderland 2-1, with Emersonn scoring midway through the first half and Jack Clarke grabbing the winner in the 90th minute.
That tells you plenty about the squad. Scoring late to nick three points is the sort of edge O’Neil can work with over time.
There are two doubts in midfield. Florentino Luis is a doubt, and Azor Matusiwa is still recovering from a muscle injury picked up on 10 August.
If neither is fit, O’Neil is expected to go with Marcelino Nunez and Sasa Lukic as the double pivot. Up front, Emersonn should lead the line, with Abdul Fatawu, Julio Enciso and Daizen Maeda, who was signed from Celtic in the 2026 summer window, in support.
The attacking numbers are in their favour. Ipswich have scored nine goals across their last four pre-season matches and their league opener, and now they face a third-tier opponent.
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Leicester City are hunting for a foothold in the cup 
Leicester’s League One season has started in ugly fashion. A 1-1 draw at Notts County on opening day, then a 2-1 home defeat to Burton Albion on Saturday.
That return of one point from six is a heavy burden for a club that needs to bounce straight back. Russell Martin is already under pressure after just two matches.
Their only win of the campaign has come in the cup. The Foxes beat Northampton Town 1-0 on 8 August, which means the EFL Cup is their only bright spot so far.
The collapse is still hanging over them. A 23rd-place finish in the Championship sent the club down to the third tier, eight months after beating Ipswich 3-1.
The most useful stat for this trip is their record on the road. Leicester are unbeaten in their last six away games, with four wins and two draws, and have lost only once in their last eight away fixtures.
Martin is expected to stick close to the side that faced Northampton. Jakub Stolarczyk should start in goal behind the centre-back pairing of Harry Souttar and Caleb Okoli, with Jayden Joseph and Luke Thomas wide.
The midfield will likely revolve around Oliver Skipp, the former Tottenham man, sitting behind Sammy Braybrooke and Liam Cullen. Up front, Stephy Mavididi and William Alves are set to support Bobby De Cordova-Reid.
That should suit the visitors. They have nothing to fear, no must-win pressure, and this season they have looked more reliable away from home than at their own ground.
Probable Ipswich Town line-up: Scherpen ; O’Shea, Diop, Greaves, Davis ; Nunez, Lukic ; Fatawu, Enciso, Maeda ; Emersonn
Probable Leicester City line-up: Stolarczyk ; Joseph, Souttar, Okoli, Thomas ; Skipp ; Alves, Braybrooke, Cullen, Mavididi ; Reid
Football Prediction Ipswich Town vs Leicester City
Our prediction: over 2.5 goals in the match
Ipswich’s attacking output over their last five matches is the main reason. The Tractor Boys have scored nine goals in that spell, including a 3-0 win over Rayo Vallecano and a 4-2 victory at Union Berlin.
Leicester, meanwhile, are shipping goals in every league outing. One conceded at Notts County, two against Burton Albion, with a League One defence up against a Premier League attack.
The Foxes are still scoring, though, and that keeps the total ticking over. They have found the net in each of their three official matches this season, including against Northampton in the cup.
Over 2.5 goals is the play at Portman Road. A confident attack against a porous third-tier defence: the ingredients for an open game are there.
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