Southampton take on Portsmouth in the Championship in the first South Coast derby in six years, and we are expecting a terrific encounter with lots of drama as both fight for bragging rights.
The match is being played on Sunday, 14th September at 12pm and will be the first game for the pair after the international break.
Portsmouth will be looking to finish in mid-table this campaign, but Southampton’s expectations will be promotion after being relegated from the Premier League in 2024/25.
Southampton, who are now managed by Will Still, are one of the favourites to be promoted, and an odds converter shows that they currently have a 36% chance of returning to England’s top flight. This is only bettered by Birmingham City and Ipswich Town.
With the South Coast derby not being played since 2019, both squads and fan bases will be fired up for the game, which should make it a great watch for any neutral watching.
As former Saints boss Ralph Hasenhuttl said after their most recent encounter, “This is more than only reaching the next round. This is about reaching the hearts of the fans”.
The Saints are undefeated in their last three games against Pompey, winning one and drawing two. Their most recent meeting came in the League Cup, where a Danny Ings brace set Saints on the way to a 4-0 victory.
The last time either Saints or Pompey managed to go undefeated four games in a row was back in the 1970’s-80’s.
There will be some big key battles across the pitch, with the most important one needing to be won in the midfield.
Southampton midfielder Shea Charles has had a solid start to the campaign, managing 1.7 key passes a game, 2.3 tackles per game and 4 balls recovered per game. It is going to be his defensive attributes that will need to be at their best as he battles the talented Adrian Segecic.
The Pompey midfielder has also had a good start to the season, with two goals in the league so far, as well as 2.3 key passes a game.
Charles will need to keep Segecic quiet in order to help the Saints win and Segecic will know that he will be pivotal in helping Portsmouth get goals in this match.
Both players are also just 21 years-old, so this match will be a new experience for them. They need to make sure they control their emotions in what promises to be a very lively atmosphere.
Southampton will be pleased that they are at home for this match as they can hopefully create an uncomfortable atmosphere for Portsmouth to play in, but their performances on the pitch at St.Mary’s have not looked great so far.
Will Still’s side managed a win in their first home match against Wrexham, but this was only due to goals in the 90th and 96th minute, whilst they lost 2-1 to 10-man StokE in their last home match.
This will give Portsmouth confidence ahead of the game, especially since they are undefeated in their two away matches this season, winning one and drawing the other.
This game has all the ingredients for a great spectacle, and we hope the first South Coast derby in six years doesn’t disappoint.
