Ipswich Town 3-1 Sheffield Wednesday: Post-match review, Stats, Key moments

Dive into Coral’s post-match review of Ipswich Town 3-1 Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship on Saturday, 20 December 2025, with stats, key moments and our take on the match.

Ipswich Town beat Sheffield Wednesday 3-1 in a solid home win. The game started with an early blow for Ipswich as George Hirst went off injured after just nine minutes, replaced by Iván Azón, but they grew into it and took the lead through Cédric Kipré in the 33rd minute, assisted by Leif Davis. Ipswich, coming off a mixed run with a recent loss to Leicester but wins against Stoke and Coventry, looked comfortable as Jaden Philogene added a second on the hour mark, assisted by Marcelino Núñez, making it 2-0.

Sheffield Wednesday, who’ve been struggling with four losses in their last five including this one, pulled one back through Liam Cooper in the 71st minute to make it tense. But Ipswich made a triple change in the 76th minute, bringing on Jack Taylor, Jack Clarke and Kasey McAteer for Jens Cajuste, Jaden Philogene and Sindre Walle Egeli, which paid off when Clarke scored in the 87th, assisted by Azor Matusiwa, sealing the points. Ashley Young then came on for Núñez late on, as Ipswich saw out the game confidently.

Ipswich Town bossed possession with 63% of the ball compared to Sheffield Wednesday’s 37%, which helped them control the tempo and create more openings, though the visitors matched them closely on successful dribbles at around 50 each, showing they were lively on the counter. Corners were fairly even too, with Ipswich edging it 5-3, but their three assists to Wednesday’s zero underlined better final-third quality, leading to those crucial goals.

Both sides picked up one yellow card each – Darnell Furlong for Ipswich and Liam Cooper for Wednesday – with no reds to disrupt things, and each team used all five substitutions, like Ipswich’s early swap of Iván Azón for George Hirst and their late triple change, while Wednesday brought on Gabriel Otegbayo for Dominic Iorfa around the 50-minute mark after a yellow. No penalties or injury-time goals shifted the balance, keeping it a straightforward contest decided by sharp finishing.

The match turned on Ipswich’s ability to strike at key times, starting with Cédric Kipré’s opener in the 33rd minute after good work from Leif Davis, and they doubled it through Jaden Philogene on 60 minutes, thanks to Marcelino Núñez’s assist. Sheffield Wednesday fought back with Liam Cooper’s goal in the 71st, but Ipswich’s triple substitution in the 76th – Jack Taylor for Jens Cajuste, Jack Clarke for Jaden Philogene, and Kasey McAteer for Sindre Walle Egeli – freshened things up, leading to Clarke’s late sealer in the 87th, assisted by Azor Matusiwa.

Yellow cards added some edge, with Cooper booked early in the second half for Wednesday, followed by Darnell Furlong’s caution in the 78th for Ipswich, while Wednesday’s changes like Gabriel Otegbayo replacing Dominic Iorfa at 50 minutes and a late triple sub of Reece Johnson for Charlie McNeill, Jarvis Thornton for Svante Ingelsson, and Iké Ugbo for Bailey Cadamarteri at 81 couldn’t turn the tide.

Ipswich Town lined up in a 4-2-3-1 shape, with strong partnerships like Leif Davis assisting Cédric Kipré at the back and Marcelino Núñez linking up with Jaden Philogene in attack before his substitution. Key impacts came from subs like Jack Clarke, who replaced Philogene and scored late, while Azor Matusiwa provided the assist for that goal.

Sheffield Wednesday set up in a 3-4-1-2 formation, relying on defensive solidity from players like Liam Cooper, who scored their only goal despite his yellow card. Substitutions shifted the dynamic, such as Gabriel Otegbayo coming on for Dominic Iorfa early in the second half, and later changes like George Brown replacing Max Lowe.

Coral’s Man of the Match goes to Liam Cooper for his all-round effort in a tough game, popping up with that vital goal in the 71st minute to give Sheffield Wednesday hope, even if they couldn’t build on it. Without any assists, big chances created or key passes in the stats, it was his defensive work and that timely strike that stood out, especially after picking up an early yellow card.

Recent Championship matches:

• Win: 3-1 vs Sheffield Wednesday (H)
• Loss: 1-3 vs Leicester City (A)
• Win: 1-0 vs Stoke City (H)
• Win: 3-0 vs Coventry City (H)
• Draw: 1-1 vs Blackburn Rovers (A)

Recent Championship matches:

• Loss: 1-3 vs Ipswich Town (A)
• Loss: 0-3 vs Derby County (H)
• Draw: 1-1 vs Watford (A)
• Loss: 2-3 vs Preston North End (H)
• Loss: 0-1 vs Millwall (A)

Ipswich Town have just beaten Sheffield Wednesday 3-1, which keeps them in third place on 37 points after a decent run including wins over Stoke and Coventry, though that loss to Leicester shows they can be vulnerable. They’ll be looking to push for the top spots when they face Millwall next on 26 December at 13:00, with the visitors sitting sixth on 35 points, so it’s a chance to pull further away from the chasing pack.

Sheffield Wednesday have just lost 3-1 to Ipswich Town, leaving them rock bottom in 24th on -9 points after a dismal stretch with losses to Derby, Preston and Millwall, plus a draw with Watford. They desperately need points to climb out of trouble when they host Hull City on 26 December at 15:00, facing a side in fourth on 37 points who’ll be tough opposition.

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