Expect Gary O'Neil to set his Ipswich side up in a familiar 4-2-3-1, with the double pivot shielding the back four and the wide men looking to knife through the half-spaces. The 3-0 win over Rayo showed they can press high and break quickly, and at Portman Road they'll look to suffocate Sunderland's build-up from the first whistle. The full-backs will push on, the number ten will drift between the lines, and the striker will feed off scraps. It's a system built on energy and quick transitions.

Sunderland will likely mirror that intensity with a 4-3-3, flooding the midfield and looking to win the second balls. Their midfield three is the engine room — they'll sit compact, deny Ipswich time on the ball, and hit on the counter through pace out wide. The Black Cats won't park the bus, but they'll be pragmatic. They know a point at Portman Road is a good point. Expect a midfield dogfight, with both teams trying to control the tempo and force the other into mistakes.

The key battle will be in that central corridor. Ipswich's double pivot against Sunderland's midfield trio. Whoever wins that zone wins the game. Set pieces could also be decisive — both sides have height and delivery, and in a tight opener, a corner or a free-kick might be the difference. This has all the hallmarks of a cagey, tactical chess match where one moment of quality — or one defensive lapse — decides it.