South coast rivals Portsmouth and Southampton will renew hostilities in Sunday’s Championship clash at Fratton Park.
Pompey head into the south coast derby in 21st spot in the Championship table, while the Saints are seven points better off in 15th position.
Match preview
Portsmouth are battling to extend their two-season stay in the Championship, with a point separating them from the drop zone ahead of Sunday’s home fixture.
John Mousinho’s side have boosted their survival hopes with a solid run of form that has seen them lose just once in their previous seven Championship matches (W3, D3).
Adrian Segecic has proven to be the key man in Portsmouth’s last two outings, scoring the winner against Sheffield Wednesday last weekend before netting the opener in Wednesday’s 1-1 draw with Watford at Vicarage Road.
Portsmouth will now return to Fratton Park for the first time since losing 4-1 to Premier League leaders Arsenal in the FA Cup third round on January 11, with the chance to make it four consecutive home league games without defeat after taking seven points from their previous three Championship home outings.
In fact, Pompey have the chance to record back-to-back home wins in the Championship for the first time since putting together a run of three successive home victories in February/March 2025.
Portsmouth have avoided defeat in their previous four home league games against Southampton (W2, D2), with their last head-to-head victory at Fratton Park taking place in November 2005, when Lomana Lua Lua netted a brace in a 4-1 triumph.
Southampton, meanwhile, are struggling in their efforts to secure an immediate return to the Premier League, sitting in the bottom half of the table and seven points adrift of the top six.
Tonda Eckert’s charges will at least head into Sunday’s derby in a positive mood after they ended a seven-game winless league run with a narrow 1-0 home victory over Sheffield United in midweek.
Leo Scienza’s fourth Championship goal of the season proved enough to complete a league double over the Blades.
While they would have been relieved with that result, the Saints still have work to do on their travels, having lost four of their previous five Championship road trips since they claimed their most recent away league win over Charlton Athletic in November.
Southampton can take encouragement from the fact that they have avoided defeat in their previous four competitive meetings with Portsmouth, including a 4-0 away success in the EFL Cup in 2019 and a goalless draw in September’s reverse fixture at St Mary’s.
However, the Saints have not won a league game at Fratton Park since Mick Channon netted the decisive goal in a 1-0 victory in a second division clash in April 1976.
Portsmouth Championship form:
D D W L D W
Portsmouth form (all competitions):
D W L L W D
Southampton Championship form:
L D D L L W
Southampton form (all competitions):
D D L W L W
Team News
Portsmouth’s lengthy injury list includes Thomas Waddingham, Harvey Blair, Franco Umeh, Hayden Matthews and Josh Knight.
Mousinho has confirmed that the key attacking duo of Josh Murphy and Callum Lang will not recover in time for Sunday’s derby, with the latter also being linked with a potential move to Preston North End.
Defender Conor Shaughnessy is set for an extended spell on the sidelines are picking up a quad injury.
In positive news, captain Marlon Pack is expected to recover from a hamstring problem in time to feature in the matchday squad.
Meanwhile, Southampton have doubts over the availability of defender Mads Roerslev and midfielder Oriol Romeu.
Shea Charles will provide an option off the bench after returning from injury with a substitute appearance in Wednesday’s win over Sheffield United.
Forward Adam Armstrong, who has netted 11 league goals this term, will be hoping to earn a recall after having to settle for a bench role in midweek.
Republic of Ireland Ryan Manning could also come back into the side, which would see Welington drop to the bench for the derby.
Portsmouth possible starting lineup:
Schmid; Devlin, Poole, Shaughnessy, Swanson; Dozzell, Adams; Segecic, Chaplin, Alli; Bishop
Southampton possible starting lineup:
Peretz; Harwood-Bellis, Stephens, Jelert; Fellows, Jander, Downes, Manning; Azaz, Scienza; Armstrong
We say: Portsmouth 1-1 Southampton
Three of the last four south coast derbies have finished all square, including a cagey affair at St Mary’s in September.
With that in mind, we think the two rivals could cancel one another out for the second time this season.
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