The stakes couldn’t be higher as Southampton and West Bromwich Albion gear up for an intense battle to secure a coveted Premier League spot. The clash is set to take place on the 17th of May at St. Mary’s Stadium.
Match Preview
The hosts finished 4th in the Championship with 87 points, while the visitors finished in 5th place with 75 points.
Southampton enter the game after a 0-0 draw at the Hawthorns in the first leg of this playoff semi-final.
The Saints will be pleased to have kept a clean sheet away and had more shots on target than their opponents.
The draw at WBA means Southampton have won only 1 of their last 5 Championship matches.
They have lost to Cardiff City and Leicester City away, and to Stoke City at home. The victory came at Leeds United on the final day of the regular season, with a good 2-1 win.
According to statistics, Southampton has maintained an impressive record of being undefeated in 17 out of their last 20 home matches across various competitions.
They have won 3 of their last 4 home Championship games and have scored 2 or more goals in each of those 3 victories.
Southampton have kept just one clean sheet in their last 9 Championship matches at home.
WBA head to St. Mary’s Stadium after the 0-0 draw at home in the first leg.
WBA hoped to take a lead into the second leg but did not do enough in front of goal to score.
The draw with Southampton means WBA have just one win from their last 5 Championship matches.
The win came over Preston North End at home on the final day of the regular season, but they have lost to Leicester City and Sheffield Wednesday away, and to Sunderland at home.
Trends show WBA have won just 1 of their last 7 away matches in all competitions and have failed to score in 3 of their last 5 Championship games.
They have not won any of their last 4 away Championship matches and have lost each of their last 3 away games against Southampton.
Team News & Updates:
Southampton are without injured players Gavin Bazunu, Stuart Armstrong and Juan Larios. There are doubts over the fitness of Che Adams.
WBA travel without Jayson Molumby and Daryl Dike due to foot and Achilles injuries, respectively.
Prediction & Analysis:
With Southampton’s recent dominance over WBA in mind, the Saints are tipped as favorites heading into the clash.
Having won both regular-season encounters against The Baggies, Southampton is predicted to emerge victorious with a clean sheet in this pivotal match.
- Southampton 2-0 West Bromwich
