Ipswich Town are back at Portman Road to face promotion rivals Hull City this evening. Alex Jones previews the action. Within the space of a week, the mood has been transformed at Ipswich. Fans understandably felt frustrated and disappointed after back-to-back defeats away at Wrexham, particularly losing 5-3 in the Championship match on February 21st. But it’s amazing what can happen with just two positive results. Town bounced back in style, first with a 2-0 win at Watford to end their run of four consecutive away games. The reward is three back-to-back matches at Portman Road. That started on Saturday, where Swansea City were put to the sword. Goals from Anis Mehmeti, Ivan Azon and George Hirst fired the Blues to three points, giving them huge confidence for two more clashes to come on Suffolk soil. Of the three, this should - on paper - be the hardest. The Swans were swatted aside with ease, while Leicester City, who visit this weekend, sit in the relegation zone and haven’t won since January 5th. Hull, however, still have eyes on a top-two finish after back-to-back wins. Hull were tipped for a tough season. After falling just short of the play-offs in 2023/24, they sacked now-Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior. It backfired last season, where they ended up scraping survival on the final day of the season on goal difference alone, sacking Tim Walter just before the midway point in the campaign and Ruben Selles at the very end. Sergej Jakirovic is in charge now, having arrived as a relative unknown. He has since built up an impressive reputation as a front-footed, attack-minded manager who can also get results. The Tigers are fourth-top scorers in the league behind Coventry City, Ipswich and Southampton. Conceding 48 goals in 34 matches shows the other side of the spectrum, but the fact that they sit fifth in the league - just three points behind second-place Middlesbrough - shows that they are a good side. They have won their last two games, where they have been remarkably clinical. First, Hull beat Derby 4-2, where their xG was 0.58 compared to the Rams’ 3.38. They went on to secure a 1-0 win at Portsmouth, scoring with one of their two shots in the game. Pompey had 22, with six on target. The Tigers have been streaky. They often blow really hot or really cold. Ultimately, with a red-hot attack, they always give themselves a chance in games. Striker Oli McBurnie is on 13 goals and six assists, Leeds United loanee Joe Gelhardt has 11 goals and four assists, while wide man Kyle Joseph has seven goals and three assists. Ipswich can undoubtedly hurt Hull, but keeping another clean sheet feels like a tough ask. Town have to be careful with yellow cards. Two players are now just one booking away from a two-match ban, while a third is two away. Azor Matusiwa has walked a tightrope for quite a while now. His ninth yellow card came against Stoke City on December 10th, avoiding one in his last 13 games. He’s got four more matches to get through before the cut-off point - Hull, Leicester, Stoke and Sheffield Wednesday. Darnell Furlong is in the same boat. For the first half of the season, it felt like he’d be absolutely fine, but he picked up three yellow cards in the final three games. Possible Hull XI: 4-2-3-1: Pandur; Coyle, Hughes, Egan, Famewo; Hadziahmetovic, Slater; Joseph, Gelhardt, Millar; McBurnie. Ipswich Town's recent form has been a mixed bag, but they will be looking to build on their win against Swansea City. The Blues have a strong squad and will be hoping to cause an upset against Hull City. The match is set to be a thrilling encounter, with both teams looking to secure a vital win. The atmosphere at Portman Road is expected to be electric, with the home fans cheering on their team. Ipswich Town will be looking to make the most of their home advantage and secure a win against Hull City. The team has been working hard in training and will be looking to put in a strong performance. The match against Hull City is a crucial one for Ipswich Town, and they will be looking to make a statement. The Blues have a tough run of fixtures coming up, but they will be looking to take it one game at a time and focus on getting a win against Hull City.