The Baggies head to St Mary’s Stadium with one mission and one mission only – to reach the Championship play-off final for a 50-50 shot at being promoted to the Premier League. Having drawn 0-0 with the Saints in the first leg of the semi-final at The Hawthorns on Sunday, West Brom still have it all to play for.
It’s an level playing field in terms of the scoreline but Albion must prepare for a tough atmosphere on the south coast. Southampton have urged their fans to arrive early and “bring the noise” ahead of this Friday’s crunch clash as they aim to make the most of the home advantage.
West Brom, albeit not winners in the game itself, will take confidence from last weekend’s first leg. It was a fairly even contest against statistically the fourth-best team in the Championship this season.
Corberan admitted it was a step in the right direction as Albion lost both fixtures against Southampton during the regular Championship season, 2-1 at St Mary’s and 2-0 at The Hawthorns. The task now is to learn from the goalless draw and go one step further to book a ticket to Wembley Stadium.
Although continuity is likely in the starting lineup, Corberan may consider tinkering things slightly. Brandon Thomas-Asante had a fairly poor game on Sunday as he struggled to deal with Southampton defenders Jan Bednarek and Taylor Harwood-Bellis, while Kyle Bartley came off with an injury concern.
With those factors in mind, here’s the West Brom starting XI we predict will be named at St Mary’s.
1. GK - Alex Palmer
Palmer did exceptionally well to preserve the clean sheet in the first leg. He also won the Championship’s Golden Glove award with 18 shutouts during the regular season. | Getty Images
2. RB - Darnell Furlong
Furlong, relied upon at both ends of the field this campaign, has locked down the right-back spot. His long throws could come in handy again. | Getty Images
3. CB - Cedric Kipre
Kipre has been one of Albion’s players of the season, without a doubt. He simply has to start whenever available. | Getty Images
4. CB - Kyle Bartley
Bartley donned the armband at The Hawthorns for his 200th West Brom appearance. He picked up a knock but it was minor and he’ll be desperate to battle on and play. | Getty Images