Southampton vs Norwich prediction 18.03.2026 | Championship

Southampton return to St Mary’s Stadium in high spirits after a superb 2:1 win against Championship leaders Coventry last weekend. Second-half goals from Flynn Downes and Kuryu Matsuki secured a priceless three points for the Saints.

Tonda Eckert’s men have been in outstanding form this year, collecting eight victories while remaining unbeaten in their last 11 matches across all competitions.

After previously appearing out of contention for promotion, Southampton now sit seventh in the table, just three points outside the play-off places.

Despite their strong run, defensive issues persist. The Saints have kept just one clean sheet in their last seven matches, with six of those games finishing with both teams on the scoresheet.

Eckert has three confirmed absentees this week. Mads Roerslev and Alex McCarthy remain sidelined with knee and wrist injuries respectively, while Cyle Larin is also unavailable.

Norwich travel to Southampton in equally strong form after a fine 2:0 win against Preston last weekend. First-half goals from Ali Ahmed and Kenny McLean secured another impressive victory for Philippe Clement’s much-improved side.

The French boss has lifted his team to a new level in 2026, with the Canaries winning nine and losing just two of their last 11 Championship fixtures. Ruthlessly efficient, Norwich recorded 2:0 victories in four successive league matches prior to this contest.

Despite their excellent run, a play-off push still looks unlikely. Norwich sit nine points outside the top six with just nine games remaining, although they now trail Southampton by only six points.

Strong travellers, the Canaries have won four of their last five away Championship fixtures and should be confident of finding the net against their in-form hosts.

Clement has several injury concerns to contend with. Ante Crnac and Mirko Topić remain sidelined with cruciate ligament tears, while Amankwah Forson is out with an unspecified issue. Matěj Jurásek is unavailable due to a foot injury, and Mohamed Touré is also expected to miss out.