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Southampton will entertain West Bromwich Albion at St. Mary's Stadium in the second leg of the EFL Championship promotion playoff semifinal on Friday. The first leg at The Hawthorns ended in a goalless draw last week.
Interestingly, the other semifinal first leg between Leeds United and Norwich City also ended in a goalless draw. The promotion playoff final will be played at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, 26 May.
Both Southampton and West Brom have seen identical results in their last six league games, with three losses, two wins, and a draw. The hosts are looking to return to the Premier League after just one season in the second tier while West Brom are hoping to secure promotion after two seasons in the Championship.
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Southampton vs West Bromwich Albion Head-to-Head
The two sides have crossed paths 84 times in all competitions thus far. The visitors have the upper hand in these meetings with 34 wins. The hosts are not far behind with 25 wins while 25 meetings have ended in draws.
The hosts secured a league double over the visitors in the Championship this term, recording a 2-1 home win and a 2-0 away triumph.
Southampton form guide (Championship): D-W-L-L-L
West Bromwich Albion form guide (Championship): D-W-L-L-L
Southampton vs West Bromwich Albion Team News
Southampton
Stuart Armstrong is sidelined with a muscle injury and Gavin Bazunu is out until 2025. Juan Larios is also not an option for this match. Che Adams missed the first leg due to a calf issue. He may start here if he passes a late fitness test.
Injured: Stuart Armstrong, Juan Larios, Gavin Bazunu
Doubtful: Che Adams
Suspended: None
West Bromwich Albion
Jayson Molumby is a long-term absentee and Daryl Dike is also sidelined with an Achilles injury. Josh Maja was left out of the squad for the first leg with fitness issues and is not expected to start here.
Injured: Jayson Molumby, Daryl Dike
Doubtful: Josh Maja
Suspended: None
Southampton vs West Bromwich Albion Predicted XI
Southampton Predicted XI (3-5-2): Alex McCarthy; Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Jan Bednarek, Jack Stephens; Kyle Walker-Peters, William Smallbone, Flynn Downes, Joe Aribo, Ryan Manning; Adam Armstrong, Sekou Mara
West Bromwich Albion Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Alex Palmer; Darnell Furlong, Kyle Bartley, Cedric Kipre, Conor Townsend; Okay Yokuslu, Alex Mowatt; Tom Fellows, Grady Diangana, Michael Johnston; Brandon Thomas-Asante
Southampton vs West Bromwich Albion Prediction
The Saints have enjoyed an unbeaten record in three meetings against the visitors this season, keeping two clean sheets. They have won seven of their last nine games in this fixture and are strong favorites.
The Baggies have just one win in their last nine meetings against the hosts, failing to score in six games in that period. They have just one win in their last seven away games in the Championship and might struggle here.
Both teams have failed to score in three of their last five league games and might struggle in front of the goal. With that in mind and considering home advantage for Southampton, they should be able to eke out a narrow win and have a good chance of keeping a clean sheet.
Prediction: Southampton 1-0 West Bromwich Albion
