SOUTHAMPTON are aiming to make it 19 matches unbeaten when they head to Wales to take on Swansea City.
At the time of writing Saints sit fourth in the Championship, while the Swans sit 14th but remaining hopeful of a top half finish. When the two sides met at St Mary’s in October the game ended in a goalless draw.
Following Tuesday’s 3-0 emphatic victory over Blackburn Rovers, Southampton have their sights set on automatic promotion. On the same night, their promotion rivals Ipswich Town lost 2-0 at Fratton Park to Portsmouth, allowing Saints to close the gap to the Suffolk side to 3 points. The two sides will face off on the penultimate game of the season at St Mary’s.
Swansea, managed by Vitor Matos ended their four game winless run last Saturday with a 1-0 victory on the road against Leicester City.
Matos’s side have lost just one of their previous 13 home matches, winning eight and have the seventh best home record in the Championship. The Swans are yet to lose a Championship game, in which they have scored the opening goal of the game in.
Team news: Swansea full back Ishe Samuels-Smith will miss the remainder of the campaign and joins Zeidane Inoussa, Josh Key and Ethan Galbraith on the sidelines
Finn Azaz, who missed Tuesday’s triumph over Blackburn could provide a welcomed attacking boost for Saints. However, Alex McCarthy and Mads Roserlev remain injured.
What the manager think:
Vitor Matos: “Southampton is probably, in my opinion, the best team in the league at the moment. They have a really good squad, even though they play every three days they rotate and keep the same performance, the same level. It says a lot about the squad itself.
“With the ball they’re really organised. They have a clear idea of overloading the centre, using the last line as a reference to break the lines. Pressing too, more controlled man-to-man. So they’re a good squad, a good manager, but it’s a good sign for us because we can put a proper performance in show we can beat everyone.”
Tonda Eckert: “Swansea are an excellent team in possession, I think if you look at the output that you need to be able to go if you go to Swansea it’ll be the highest of the season. I think it demands the most intense distance that you’ll need to cover.
“We need to be so sharp in the way we defend. We also have quality to be able to hurt them down the other end. But the key thing for us is that we’re spot on in the way we approach and the way we press. For that we need to be able to cover ground.”
Player to watch: Zan Vipotnik
The Slovenian is the Championship top scorer with 21 goals and got the winner last time out against Leicester. He also notched two during his last game at the Swansea.com stadium when they faced Middlesbrough.
Head-to-head:
