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

On Sunday, Southampton will renew hostilities with arch-rivals Portsmouth in the first South Coast derby of the 2026-27 season.

After a long international break, the hosts head into matchday nine in 13th spot in the Championship table, while Portsmouth are two points worse off in 19th position.

Match preview

Southampton, who are working with a four-point deduction for the Spygate scandal, are sitting three points adrift of the top eight after winning four, drawing two and losing two of their eight league games this season.

The second of those two defeats came in their most recent outing against Wrexham, which looked set to end all square after James Ward-Prowse cancelled out Kieffer Moore's opener.

However, a late Keven Schlotterbeck ultimately left the Saints with nothing to show for their efforts, extending their winless away run to four matches.

While they are yet to win a Championship away game this term, Southampton have won all four of their home league games this term, scoring at least three goals in each of those victories.

As the only Championship side with a perfect home record, the Saints may fancy their chances of claiming the spoils in Tonda Eckert's first home South Coast derby, with the 33-year-old free to give orders from the touchline after escaping with a suspended ban for his role in the Spygate scandal.

That said, each of the last four EFL derbies have finished all square, while Southampton have not won a league game against Portsmouth since Dexter Blackstock and Kevin Phillips struck in a 2-1 victory in November 2004.

Portsmouth, meanwhile, made a poor start to their third consecutive Championship season, with their opening four games producing one victory and three 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 victory over Cardiff City at Fratton Park.

Pompey then played out a goalless draw with Charlton Athletic at The Valley before they battled to a 2-2 scoreline in their home clash with Blackburn Rovers before the international window.

Portsmouth kept things ticking in the three-week break with a 2-0 success against Chelsea in a behind-closed-doors match, although it remains to be seen how much benefit a friendly victory will offer before the high stakes of a derby affair.

With both of their victories coming against newly-promoted opposition, Pompey will feel they need their strongest performance of the season if they are to win a league game at St Mary's for the first time and an away league match against Southampton for the first time since January 1988.

They may be able to draw some inspiration from the fact they were the last team to record a league victory in this fixture in April 2005, when Lomana Lua Lua netted a brace in a 4-1 Premier League win at Fratton Park.

Southampton Championship form:

Portsmouth Championship form:

Team News

Southampton midfielder Caspar Jander is hoping to feature in a matchday squad for the first time since sustaining a quad injury in pre-season.

Goalkeeper Daniel Peretz and the Championship’s leading scorer Cyle Larin have shaken off the injury issues that forced them to return early from international duty.

Portsmouth-born James Ward-Prowse, who was part of the Southampton side that won 4-0 in Fratton Park in 2019, should line up in central midfield in what will be his second appearance against Pompey this season after featuring for West Ham United in a 3-1 EFL Cup win in August.

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

Mousinho has revealed that a late call will be made on the availability of Conor Shaughnessy and Marko Milovanovic.

Keshi Anderson, who sustained a quad injury in pre-season, made his return to training before the international break and is in contention to feature in the matchday squad, although Mousinho is keen to exercise caution with the 31-year-old attacker.

Southampton possible starting lineup:

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

Portsmouth possible starting lineup:

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

We say: Southampton 3-1 Portsmouth

While the last four league derbies have finished all square, Southampton enter Sunday's fixture with a 100% record at St Mary's this season, and given their goalscoring exploits on home turf, we think their firepower will prove too strong for Portsmouth.

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