Southampton welcome Henrik Pedersen’s Sheffield Wednesday to St Mary’s on Saturday, following a midweek victory against QPR that propelled them up the league to 19th position.
In a game where the outcome was far more important than the performance, goals from Léo Scienza and Jay Robinson guaranteed that the Saints exited Loftus Road with all three points.
The signing of Oriol Romeu on Thursday will have given Southampton fans reason to be happy, but he is unlikely to play on Saturday.
Tonda Eckert will take charge of the first squad as temporary manager for the second time, seeking to build on Wednesday night’s win in West London.
Southampton Team News
Southampton will undoubtedly remain unchanged. Shea Charles, Sam Edozie, Elias Jelert, and Ross Stewart are unavailable. Cameron Archer is uncertain, and Oriol Romeu may not be fit to play.
Cameron Bragg, the Under-21 captain, is injured.
Predicted Southampton team against Sheffield Wednesday: Bazunu; Stephens, Wood, Harwood-Bellis; Manning, Fellows, Downes, Jander; Robinson, Scienza, Armstrong (3-4-3)
Sheffield Wednesday Team News
Di’Shon Bernard, Nathaniel Chalobah, Pierce Charles, Olaf Kobacki, and Ernie Weaver all missed Wednesday’s midweek draw with Norwich at Hillsborough. It is unclear whether any of the five will be offered at St. Mary’s.
Predicted Sheffield Wednesday lineup versus Southampton: Horvath; Palmer, Iorfa, M Lowe; Fusire, Valery, Bannan, Ingelsson, Amass; J. Lowe, Cadamarteri
Match Prediction:
Tonda Eckert may need to play a more aggressive game against a Wednesday squad that is prepared to sit back and strike them on the counter.
However, Saints should be careful of a strong counter-press. If Pederson’s scouts have done their study, they will be able to keep Southampton from gaining the ball and playing out of the back.
Of course, Eckert might go back to a 4-2-3-1 formation. It was a configuration that worked better for Southampton against Preston and could be the best option at home on Saturday.
Crowd favorite Léo Scienza could be the difference between these two teams, who would otherwise cancel each other out. Scienza’s run and shot for Southampton’s second goal on Wednesday night were Premier League-quality.
Sheffield Wednesday’s best hope is that Southampton relax on their laurels and invite the press. If that happens, the owls may cause their own issues, and Barry Bannan is a genuine quality player.
The midweek triumph should boost the Southampton squad’s confidence. Expect them to win the thin one.
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