Ipswich Town Secure Statement Win Against Union Berlin
In front of 12,421 at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei, Town started slowly, were punished, then ripped through their Bundesliga hosts with a ruthless first‑half spell that underlined how far they’ve come this summer.
Final Score: Union Berlin 2 - 4 Ipswich Town
Early punch, sharp response
Ipswich were second best in the opening exchanges and paid for it. A short free-kick caught them cold in the ninth minute, Zeno van den Bosch drifting free to thump home from close range after Union worked the routine neatly.
That woke Town up.
Seven minutes later they were level. Leif Davis, raiding down the left, drilled a low cutback into the box and Jack Clarke arrived right on cue, opening his body and guiding a composed finish into the corner. One chance, one goal, and suddenly Ipswich were playing with tempo and bite.
The pressure built. On 40 minutes they turned the game on its head. Sindre Walle Egeli glanced on a ball into the area and Emersonn reacted quickest, pouncing from close range to make it 2-1. Union’s back line looked rattled; Ipswich smelled blood.
Deep into first-half stoppage time, the captain stepped up. From his makeshift right-back berth, Dara O’Shea surged into space on the edge of the box and unleashed a fierce drive that flew into the top-left corner. A centre-back by trade, a right-back on the day, and finishing like a No.9. Town went in 3-1 up, the game transformed in half an hour.
Union hit back, Ipswich finish the job
Union needed a response and found one on 53 minutes. Josip Juranovic broke in behind and showed real composure, lifting the ball delicately over Kjell Scherpen to drag the hosts back into it at 3-2.
The home crowd stirred. The game threatened to tilt.
O’Neil turned to his bench. On came Kasey McAteer, Anis Mehmeti and fresh legs across the front line. The impact was swift and decisive.
With 12 minutes to play, Mehmeti found space wide and whipped in a dangerous cross. McAteer arrived on the move and met it first time, steering in a clean finish to restore the two-goal cushion at 4-2. That killed the contest and wrapped up a quietly impressive afternoon’s work.
O’Shea the right-back – and the right call?
Beyond the scoreline, the selection told its own story. O’Shea started again at right-back in a 4-2-3-1, with Darnell Furlong and Ben Johnson both on the bench. It’s the second straight game he’s been used there, after the Rayo Vallecano outing, and it now feels less like an experiment and more like a plan.
With Issa Diop and Jacob Greaves operating centrally, this set-up gets O’Neil’s skipper into the XI without sacrificing his preferred pairing at the heart of defence. O’Shea has been open in the past about favouring centre-back, but his attitude has never been in question and here the role actually showcased more of his game.
He pushed on, overlapped, and capped it all with that thumping strike from the edge of the area. If this is the template, Sunderland can probably expect to see the same back line next weekend.
Clarke at No.10 – a timely audition
There was another notable tweak further forward. Clarke started as the No.10.
He has filled that role before, both last season and earlier in this pre-season, but to see him used there in the final friendly before the Premier League restart felt significant. With Daizen Maeda locked in on the left and Jaden Philogene back in the mix, Clarke’s versatility suddenly looks invaluable.
He delivered. The equaliser from Davis’ cutback was sharp and controlled, and he later produced a superb cross from the right that set up Emersonn’s smart finish. His pre-season form has been eye-catching, and he’s making it very hard for O’Neil to leave him out of the central picture.
Julio Enciso, once his return to Portman Road is completed, is likely to be the long-term first choice in that role. But Clarke has made a compelling case to be more than just cover. Where he fits once the real stuff starts will be one of the more intriguing subplots of Town’s opening weeks.
Philogene back in blue
Jaden Philogene’s summer has been dominated by noise. Speculation has swirled around his future, but Ipswich have yet to receive a formal offer. While the rumours rolled on, a hamstring injury kept him out of most of pre-season.
Here, though, he was back where it matters – on the pitch.
Named among the substitutes, he replaced Maeda at half-time on the left. The rust was understandable, but the intent was there: step-overs, sharp touches, a couple of efforts at goal. He never quite grabbed the game, yet his presence alone felt important with the Premier League return just a week away.
What happens next in his story is still unclear. For now, Ipswich have a fit, dangerous winger back in the fold at exactly the moment they need every attacking option.
A friendly with real edge
Strip away the “pre-season” tag and this was a demanding test against Bundesliga opposition in their own stadium. Ipswich didn’t dominate from start to finish, but they had a blistering spell in the first half, scored four well-constructed goals and, for long stretches, kept Union at arm’s length.
There were standout individual displays. Clarke and Walle Egeli caught the eye, Emersonn took his goal well, and Sasa Lukic impressed on debut in midfield, knitting play together and adding control in central areas. The starting XI looked balanced, the bench impactful.
Not everything was perfect. Town switched off for Union’s opener from a quick free-kick and lost concentration again for Juranovic’s dinked finish. Scherpen will not enjoy watching either goal back, though he wasn’t the chief culprit on either occasion. Those are the lapses that will be punished even more ruthlessly in the Premier League.
But as tune-ups go, this was a strong one.
Ready or not?
Seven watchable friendlies, four wins, one draw, two defeats. More importantly, a clear sense of progression. Ipswich look fitter, sharper and increasingly comfortable with O’Neil’s tactical and physical demands.
The warm-ups are over now. Sunderland arrive in Suffolk next Saturday, the Premier League beast looming into view again.
Are Town truly ready to take it on? We’re about to find out.
