Southampton vs Portsmouth - prediction, team news, lineups

On Sunday, Southampton volition renew hostilities with arch-rivals Portsmouth successful the archetypal South Coast derby of the 2026-27 season.

After a agelong planetary break, the hosts caput into matchday 9 successful 13th spot successful the Championship table, portion Portsmouth are 2 points worse disconnected successful 19th position. 

Match preview

Southampton, who are moving with a four-point deduction for the Spygate scandal, are sitting 3 points adrift of the apical 8 aft winning four, drafting 2 and losing 2 of their 8 league games this season.

The 2nd of those 2 defeats came successful their astir caller outing against Wrexham, which looked acceptable to extremity each quadrate aft James Ward-Prowse cancelled retired Kieffer Moore's opener.

However, a precocious Keven Schlotterbeck yet near the Saints with thing to amusement for their efforts, extending their winless distant tally to 4 matches.

While they are yet to triumph a Championship distant crippled this term, Southampton person won each 4 of their location league games this term, scoring astatine slightest 3 goals successful each of those victories.

As the lone Championship broadside with a cleanable location record, the Saints whitethorn fancy their chances of claiming the spoils successful Tonda Eckert's archetypal location South Coast derby, with the 33-year-old escaped to springiness orders from the touchline aft escaping with a suspended prohibition for his relation successful the Spygate scandal. 

That said, each of the past 4 EFL derbies person finished each square, portion Southampton person not won a league crippled against Portsmouth since Dexter Blackstock and Kevin Phillips struck successful a 2-1 triumph successful November 2004. 

Portsmouth, meanwhile, made a mediocre commencement to their 3rd consecutive Championship season, with their opening 4 games producing 1 triumph and 3 defeats.

John Mousinho's charges soon managed to halt the flurry of losses with a three-game unbeaten run, which started with a 2-0 triumph implicit Cardiff City astatine Fratton Park.

Pompey past played retired a goalless gully with Charlton Athletic astatine The Valley earlier they battled to a 2-2 scoreline successful their location clash with Blackburn Rovers earlier the planetary window.

Portsmouth kept things ticking successful the three-week interruption with a 2-0 occurrence against Chelsea successful a behind-closed-doors match, though it remains to beryllium seen however overmuch payment a affable triumph volition connection earlier the precocious stakes of a derby affair.

With some of their victories coming against newly-promoted opposition, Pompey volition consciousness they request their strongest show of the play if they are to triumph a league crippled astatine St Mary's for the archetypal clip and an distant league lucifer against Southampton for the archetypal clip since January 1988. 

They whitethorn beryllium capable to gully immoderate inspiration from the information they were the past squad to grounds a league triumph successful this fixture successful April 2005, erstwhile Lomana Lua Lua netted a brace successful a 4-1 Premier League triumph astatine Fratton Park. 

Southampton Championship form:

Portsmouth Championship form:

Team News

Southampton midfielder Caspar Jander is hoping to diagnostic successful a matchday squad for the archetypal clip since sustaining a quad wounded successful pre-season.

Goalkeeper Daniel Peretz and the Championship’s starring scorer Cyle Larin person shaken disconnected the wounded issues that forced them to instrumentality aboriginal from planetary duty. 

Portsmouth-born James Ward-Prowse, who was portion of the Southampton broadside that won 4-0 successful Fratton Park successful 2019, should enactment up successful cardinal midfield successful what volition beryllium his 2nd quality against Pompey this play aft featuring for West Ham United successful a 3-1 EFL Cup triumph successful August.

As for Portsmouth, they stay without the services of Benjamin Arthur, Conor Ogilvie, Mark Kosznovszky, Luke Brooke-Smith, Franco Umeh and Thomas Waddingham owed to injury. 

Mousinho has revealed that a precocious telephone volition beryllium made connected the availability of Conor Shaughnessy and Marko Milovanovic. 

Keshi Anderson, who sustained a quad wounded successful pre-season, made his instrumentality to grooming earlier the planetary interruption and is successful contention to diagnostic successful the matchday squad, though Mousinho is keen to workout caution with the 31-year-old attacker.

Southampton imaginable starting lineup:

Peretz; Bree, Wood, Schlotterbeck, Manning; Downes, Ward-Prowse; Matsuki, Azaz, Scienza; Larin

Portsmouth imaginable starting lineup:

Bielica; Swanson, Dia, Shaughnessy, Meghoma; Pack, Shein; Kamara, Segecic, Kavuma-McQueen; Shade

We say: Southampton 3-1 Portsmouth

While the past 4 league derbies person finished each square, Southampton participate Sunday's fixture with a 100% grounds astatine St Mary's this season, and fixed their goalscoring exploits connected location turf, we deliberation their firepower volition beryllium excessively beardown for Portsmouth.

For information investigation of the astir apt results, scorelines and much for this lucifer delight click here.