Tractor Boys park in the Black Country

The business end of the Championship is here, and while West Bromwich Albion have spent most of the season pretending they aren't actually a football club, they’ve suddenly decided to start behaving like 1990s AC Milan. Sitting 18th with 52 points, the Baggies are mathematically safe from the drop, which usually means the players would already be browsing Skyscanner for Ibiza. Instead, Carlos Corberan has them playing like their lives depend on every single tackle.

West Brom are currently on a nine-match unbeaten streak. Yes, you read that correctly. They’ve kept six clean sheets in their last seven games. It’s as if they’ve collectively decided that allowing a goal is a personal insult to their ancestors. They are the ultimate party poopers, and tomorrow they have the chance to ruin the biggest party of all.

Ipswich Town arrive at The Hawthorns sitting 2nd with 79 points, sniffing the sweet, succulent aroma of automatic promotion. Kieran McKenna’s side is the tactical equivalent of a teenager in a stolen Ferrari: high speed, zero fear, and occasionally prone to a spectacular crash. They need this win to stay ahead of the chasing pack, but they’re walking into a defensive meat grinder.

The Tractor Boys thrive on chaos and goals, while West Brom’s recent philosophy is to suck the soul out of the ball until it stops moving. It’s the IRRESISTIBLE force meeting the IMMOVABLE object, except the object is wearing a stripey shirt and hasn't conceded a goal since the invention of the wheel.

Ipswich have the quality, but the pressure of the promotion race is a heavy rucksack to carry into the Black Country. Expect a match that feels more like a cage fight than a football game. West Brom will be more than happy to sit back, soak up the pressure, and remind everyone why they are the most annoying team to play in April.

Prediction: West Bromwich Albion 0-0 Ipswich Town