Preview: Southampton vs Portsmouth - prediction, team news, lineups

The biggest rivalry on the South coast will get its latest instalment when Southampton lock horns with Portsmouth at St Mary's on Sunday.

Southampton have collected five points from their first four matches, while Pompey have picked up seven points in the opening stages of the Championship season. 

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Match preview

Southampton are looking to secure an immediate return to the top flight after finishing rock bottom of the Premier League last term. 

Will Still is the man who has been tasked with leading Southampton's promotion bid, with the 32-year-old looking to enjoy success in his first job in English football after previously coaching Lierse, Beerschot, Reims and Lens. 

Still started his tenure with victories over Wrexham and Northampton Town in the league and EFL Cup respectively, before he oversaw a draw with Ipswich Town and a narrow defeat to Stoke City. 

After bouncing back with a 3-0 EFL Cup win over Norwich City, the Saints looked set to claim their second Championship win of the season when they established a 2-1 lead in their away clash against Watford, thanks to goals from Cameron Archer and Ryan Manning. 

However, Nestory Irankunda's 81st-minute free kick denied Southampton all three points, leaving them without a win in their last three league matches.

Southampton will be desperate to end their winless run in their first meeting with arch-rivals Portsmouth since running out 4-0 winners in the EFL Cup third round in September 2019, courtesy of a Danny Ings brace and goals from Cedric Soares and Nathan Redmond.

If they successfully claim derby bragging rights, it would represent their first league win over Portsmouth since November 2004, when Dexter Blackstock and Kevin Phillips grabbed a goal apiece in a 2-1 victory at St Mary's.

Portsmouth are competing in the Championship for a second consecutive season after securing safety with a 16th-placed finish last term. 

As Pompey look to push on this season, they will be encouraged by the start that they have made to the 2025-26 campaign, having picked up two wins, one draw and one defeat in their four league games.

John Mousinho's side got up and running with a 1-0 away win over Oxford United, before they lost back-to-back home games against Reading and Norwich in the Championship and EFL Cup respectively.

After battling hard for an away point against West Bromwich Albion, Pompey produced another hard-fought display to edge out Preston North End via a 1-0 scoreline before the international break.

Andre Dozzell's third goal for the club proved enough to steer Portsmouth to their first home win of the season, ensuring that they will head into the highly anticipated derby with a two-point advantage over their arch-rivals.

Portsmouth have failed to win any of the previous three South-coast derbies, although they have at least avoided defeat in each of their last three league games against Southampton.

The visitors will hope that members of their current squad can etch their name in Pompey folklore like David Norris did on the most recent visit to St Mary's in April 2012, when he conjured up a technically-perfect volley in the 94th minute to salvage a 2-2 draw. 

Southampton Championship form:

Southampton form (all competitions):

Portsmouth Championship form:

Portsmouth form (all competitions):

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Team News

Southampton are without the services of Brazilian left-back Welington, who remains sidelined with an ankle injury that he sustained in last month's defeat to Stoke. 

Midfielder Flynn Downes could return to the midfield, while Archer is set to make a third consecutive start after scoring in the previous two matches against Norwich and Watford.

Elias Jelert, Caspar Jander, Leo Scienza and Tom Fellows could all feature in the squad for the first time since arriving in the summer transfer window. 

As for the visitors, they are unable to call upon Callum Lang and Harvey Blair, although captain Marlon Pack is hoping to recover from a knee injury in time for Sunday's derby.

Pompey academy product Conor Chaplin is set to make his second debut after returning to the club on loan from Ipswich Town on the final day of the window.

Goalkeeper Josef Bursik, winger Franco Umeh, and forward Makenzie Kirk also arrived on deadline day, and the trio are all in contention to feature among the substitutes at St Mary's. 

Southampton possible starting lineup:

Bazunu; Stephens, Wood, Harwood-Bellis; Roerslev, Downes, Charles, Manning; Azaz, Robinson; Archer

Portsmouth possible starting lineup:

Schmid; Swanson, Poole, Shaughnessy, Ogilvie; Swift, Dozzell; Segecic, Chaplin, Murphy; Bishop

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We say: Southampton 1-1 Portsmouth

Southampton may be sitting two points behind their local rivals, but on paper, they have the stronger squad out of the two clubs and will benefit from having home advantage for the first derby of the season. 

However, Pompey will do their utmost to make it a dogged affair, and having lost just one of their four league games this term, we think that the visitors will do enough to hold the hosts to a draw.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

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