FRIDAY night at Portman Road pitches a promoted Ipswich Town against a Liverpool side who have not won a game yet. Andoni Iraola’s first two matches in charge have brought two draws and four goals conceded, and a hostile Suffolk evening under the lights is not where he wanted this to drag on.

Ipswich Town have made the noisier start of the two. Gary O’Neil‘s side beat Sunderland 2-1 at Portman Road on the opening weekend, then went to Old Trafford and led through Leif Davis before Manchester United took them apart after the break, Bruno Fernandes scoring three in a 5-2 win and Chuba Akpom pulling one back in stoppage time. 

O’Neil arrived from Strasbourg in June to replace Kieran McKenna, and his forward line has looked genuinely dangerous in transition: Julio Enciso has an assist in both league games and Abdul Fatawu has created three chances and set up a goal.

Liverpool have drawn 2-2 twice. Alexander Isak cancelled out Dan Ndoye‘s opener at Anfield on Saturday, Morgan Gibbs-White put Nottingham Forest back in front from the penalty spot, and Víctor Muñoz rescued the point on his home debut with a finish off the underside of the crossbar. 

That followed a 2-2 draw at Newcastle United on the opening weekend. Iraola has been backed heavily in the market, with Bradley Barcola arriving for £123m to join £116m playmaker Florian Wirtz and Muñoz, a £34.5m signing from Osasuna, but the pattern in both matches has been identical: a slow start, a shortage of intensity and space handed up in behind.

With Iraola hunting a first win and Ipswich sensing a night that suits them, new punters can get involved by claiming a huge 300% welcome offer using our bet365 bonus code. Now, let’s check out all the key details before the opening whistle.

The offer for Ipswich Town vs Liverpool

Sign up prior to the opening whistle to claim a flexible £30 free bets bundle when you stake just £10 on a qualifying wager.

  • Bet £5 > Get £15 in Free Bets
  • Bet £10 > Get £30 in Free Bets

Simply click our link and the bet365 bonus code SUN365 will be applied automatically.

Please note that although adding the bonus code is optional, doing so will not increase the final amount of free bets deposited into your wallet.

The betting angle: Can O’Neil’s runners punish another slow Liverpool start?

Iraola wants his full-backs high and his defensive line aggressive, and neither game so far has gone the way that plan needs it to. Long balls released Ndoye in behind twice inside the opening six minutes at Anfield, and Forest carried the only consistent threat until half-time. With Conor Bradley sidelined into the new year, Jeremie Frimpong has been repeatedly exposed and Dominik Szoboszlai finished Saturday at right-back, which tells you how little the shape has settled.

That is exactly the profile Ipswich are built to attack. O’Neil fills his back four with centre-backs and springs forward through the pace of Enciso, Fatawu and Daizen Maeda, and it worked well enough at Old Trafford to put them in front. A Friday night at Portman Road, with a promoted crowd and a Liverpool side yet to win, is the sort of occasion that suits a team content to sit deep and then run.

Neither defence looks trustworthy, which is where the tip comes from. Liverpool have conceded in both league games and have not kept a clean sheet under Iraola, while Ipswich have shipped six in two, five of them in a single afternoon. Both teams have also scored in every league game they have played, and the two Ipswich have been involved in produced ten goals between them.

Expect Ipswich to have their moments on the counter and Liverpool’s individual quality to eventually tell, in a match where both goalkeepers pick the ball out of their net at least once.

  • Our tip: Both Teams to Score
  • The longshot: Liverpool to win 3-1 & Alexander Isak to score anytime

How to use the bet365 bonus code

  • Click here to navigate to the bet365 registration page.
  • Fill in your details, and the bet365 bonus code will be automatically applied if you follow our link.
  • Add £5 or £10 to your wallet using a Debit Card (it’s best to hold off on using Apple Pay or PayPal for this initial transaction to guarantee your bonus eligibility).
  • Place a qualifying wager on Ipswich Town vs Liverpool at odds of 1/5 (1.20) or higher.
  • Once your wager is settled, bet365 will credit your account with triple your deposit amount in Free Bets.

📺 How to watch Ipswich Town vs Liverpool

  • Date: Friday, 4th September, 2026
  • Kick-off: 8:00pm BST
  • Venue: Portman Road, Ipswich
  • TV Channel: Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League
  • Highlights: BBC Sport website, BBC iPlayer and YouTube

Read more of our 2026/27 football season tips and predictions

About the author

Craig Mahood

Craig Mahood is an expert in sports betting and online casinos and has worked with the company since 2020. He joined the Betting & Gaming team at The Sun in June 2022 and works closely with the leading bookmakers and online gaming companies to provide content on all areas of sports betting and gaming. He previously worked as a Digital Sports Reporter at the Scottish Sun, covering Scottish football with particular focus on Celtic and Rangers, As well as football, he has covered horse racing, boxing, darts, the Olympics and tennis for the Sun.

Remember to gamble responsibly

A responsible gambler is someone who:

  • Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
  • Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
  • Never chase their losses
  • Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
  • Gamcare – gamcare.org.uk

Read our guide on responsible gambling practices.

For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to gamstop.co.uk to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling websites.

Most read in Betting

NUNO YOUR PLACE!

Championship promotion odds 2026/27: Predictions and tips

sTARTER FOR TEN

The best online casinos for free spins and bonuses from £10 deposits

GUNNER GO AGAIN

Premier League winner odds 2026/27: Arsenal 6/4 to retain

DROP ZONE

Premier League relegation odds 2026/27: Fulham 5/1 to drop down