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Leicester logo
Championship
Feb 22, 2014 at 3pm UK
 
Ipswich logo

3-0

Vardy (19'), Nugent (31'), Wood (88')
FT(HT: 2-0)

Preview: Leicester City vs. Ipswich Town

Sports Mole previews Saturday's Championship encounter between leaders Leicester and playoff-chasing Ipswich.

Championship leaders Leicester City will look to increase their stranglehold on their position at the top of the table when they host Ipswich Town at the King Power Stadium on Saturday.

Leicester have been in superb form recently and are unbeaten in their last 12 league matches to open up an eight-point gap over second-placed Burnley.

Their form has stuttered ever so slightly in recent weeks, however, with their nine-match winning streak coming to an end with back-to-back 2-2 draws.

However, their tally of 30 points from the last 36 on offer is remarkable by any standards, and they now look all but certain to be playing their football in the Premier League next season.

Nigel Pearson will be keen to officially secure promotion and then the title as soon as possible, and a home match against Ipswich represents a good chance to get back to winning ways.

Leicester have not lost in their last eight home matches against the Tractor Boys and have tasted defeat just once at the KP Stadium all season.

A 12th win in their 16th home game could see them extend their lead at the top to a whopping 11 points depending on results elsewhere.

Pearson will be without Paul Konchesky, who is suspended for the match, while Sean St Ledger remains sidelined for the Foxes.

Ipswich will be no pushovers for the league leaders, however, as they still hope to launch a playoff charge in the closing stages of the season.

Mick McCarthy's side are currently five points off sixth-placed Reading but have rediscovered their form and are unbeaten in their last five matches.

However, three of those games have ended all square and, looking further back into the form guide, Ipswich have won just twice in their last 11 games in all competitions.

They were held to a goalless draw by struggling Blackpool last weekend and, while an away trip to Leicester may not be accompanied by a great deal of optimism, the Tractor Boys can ill afford too many more slip-ups like that.

McCarthy's side do boast an impressive away record this season having only been beaten once in their last 11 league matches on the road.

Again, though, many of those matches have ended in draws, and 12 for the season - coupled with eight defeats - represents a lot of dropped points for a side chasing the playoffs.

Ipswich have been rocked by the news that top scorer David McGoldrick could miss the rest of the season through injury, and McCarthy will need to find someone to replace his goals if they are to reach the playoffs.

Paul Taylor could be the man to get the nod, while Anthony Wordsworth, Luke Hyam and Dean Gerken are all injury doubts for the game.

Recent form

Leicester: WWWWDD

Ipswich: LWDWDD

Possible starting lineups

Leicester: Schmeichel; De Laet, Wasilewski, Morgan, Moore; Knockaert, James, Drinkwater, Dyer; Vardy, Nugent

Ipswich: Loach; Chambers, Berra, Smith, Cresswell; Hunt, Tabb, Skuse, Anderson; Murphy, Taylor

Sports Mole says: 2-0


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Sheffield United manager Danny Wilson looks on during a League One match at Brammall Lane on February 1, 2013
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