Our prediction for this League 1 match:
Priestfield Stadium will host the Boxing Day clash between Gillingham and Ipswich Town, the two teams who have been struggling to find their best forms of late. Gillingham are on a five-match losing run in the League One, with the team conceding seven goals in total in back-to-back losses to Rotherham (1-5) and Fleetwood (1-2). Both Tutonda and Sithole are pushing for a start for the home team.
The Tractor Boys, on the other hand, head into the match following a 1-1 draw with Sunderland. Ipswich Town aim to put an end to their three-game winless run, and it seems as if they will not have a better chance than this to get back on course. When the two teams met in the EFL Trophy in October the Tractor Boys defeated the Gills 2-0, and we predict that the history is going to repeat itself.
Highlighted Player (Stuart O\'Keefe):
Stuart O’keefe is a an English footballer who started his senior career at Southend United. In August 2010 O’Keefe signed a one-year deal with Crystal Palace after impressing coach George Burley in a trial game against West Ham reserves.
The 173-cm-tall midfielder scored one goal in 36 appearances for the Eagles in the Premier League, finding the net in a 3-1 win over Sunderland on August 31, 2013. Stuart O’Keefe played for Blackpool on loan before moving to Cardiff City in the winter of 2015.
After his loan spells with Milton Keynes Dons, Portsmouth and Plymouth Argyle, O’Keefe moved to Gillingham at the end of the 2018/2019 season. He made his League One debut with the club on August 3, 2019 in a 1-1 draw with Doncaster Rovers. His main position is central midfield, but he is used as both defensive and attacking midfielder as well. His preferred foot is right.
Highlighted Team (Ipswich):
Ipswich Town are an English football club that was formed in 1878. Portman Road has been the home ground of Ipswich Town since 1894 and the capacity of the venue, which was expanded in 2002, is 30,311. The Tractor Boys compete in the Championship, but they used to play in the English Premier League in the past as well. Ipswich Town last appeared in the elite division in the 2001/2002 season.
Ipswich won the FA Cup in 1978, with the team beating Arsenal (1-0) in the title game. However, the club’s biggest success came in 1981 when they outplayed AZ Alkmaar in the UEFA Cup final. It has to be noted that the Tractor Boys have yet to suffer a loss at home ground in the European competitions.
Norwich City are regarded as Ipswich Town’s bitterest rivals and it is well known that the two sides take on each other in the East Anglian derby.