The EFL Championship begins at 8pm today (August 8) with a meeting of newly-promoted Birmingham City hosting recently-relegated Ipswich Town.
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The fixture sets the tone for an intensely competitive campaign, with Birmingham returning to the second tier buoyed by an emphatic League One title win last season that saw them collect a record-breaking 111 points under manager Chris Davies.
Ipswich Town arrive having suffered relegation from the Premier League but remain among the early favourites for promotion thanks to a well-retained squad and the steady leadership of manager Kieran McKenna.
The match carries added intrigue given the Championship’s reputation as one of the most challenging and unpredictable leagues in world football, with its relentless 46-game schedule often producing unexpected twists.
For Birmingham, the encounter offers an early insight into whether their League One momentum can carry on into a higher division against one of the league’s most fancied sides.
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But for Ipswich, it represents a chance to signal their intent to bounce back at the first attempt and reassert themselves among the automatic promotion contenders.
This opener is further heated by the transfer frenzy surrounding Ajax striker Chuba Akpom, who had flown in for a medical with Birmingham City on a loan with a potential £7 million purchase clause before Ipswich dramatically hijacked the deal and now look set to secure his signature, adding a twist that sets the tone for what’s to come.
Supporters from both clubs will see this match as more than just a season opener, but as a statement of their side’s ambitions for the months ahead.
When the whistle blows on August 8, the Championship’s drama, intensity, and unpredictability will be back in full force, and this opening clash promises to deliver an early taste of the battles to come.