Championship news: Portsmouth vs Leeds Utd – Five key battles and score prediction
This weekend sees struggling Portsmouth welcome league leaders Leeds United to Fratton Park for an intriguing Championship clash.
Pompey fell to a disappointing 1-0 defeat at Luton Town last time out, a result which lifted the relegation-threatened Hatters off the foot of the table.
Leeds, on the other hand, dropped points at home to play-off chasing West Brom, allowing both Sheffield United and Burnley to narrow the gap at the top of the standings.
Sports News Blitz writer Samuel Leasley considers five key battles to anticipate in Sunday’s fixture and offers a score prediction.
John Mousinho vs Daniel Farke
John Mousinho will no doubt have been disappointed in his side’s inability to take anything from the game against Luton, especially considering Portsmouth were on a good run of form.
Having dispatched Oxford United, QPR and Cardiff City in succession, Pompey struggled to break down a resilient Hatters side and missed the chance to make it an 11-point gap down to the relegation zone.
With games against Derby County, Plymouth Argyle, and Hull City still to come, though, Mousinho is sure to remain optimistic.
Portsmouth will also have one eye on taking more points off the league leaders after an entertaining 3-3 draw at Elland Road back in August.
Daniel Farke was frustrated at the lack of energy and conviction in the Whites’ performance against West Brom as they cheaply threw away two points and were ultimately lucky not to be punished further.
Following a blistering opening 20 minutes, when they took the lead through Junior Firpo, Leeds appeared to drop in energy and intensity, allowing West Brom back into the game.
Yet again, it was a set-piece that undid Farke’s side and Leeds simply lacked the killer instinct to regain the lead thereafter.
In what is quickly proving to be an unpredictable promotion race, Farke will not want to gift any more points.
Josh Murphy vs Jayden Bogle
Should Portsmouth stay up this season, they will have Josh Murphy and his contributions to thank.
The winger has provided six goals and nine assists so far, with five of those contributions coming in his last five appearances.
Murphy has also chipped in at the back when Pompey have looked to sit deep, providing 17 successful tackles alongside 22 interceptions.
Opposition full-backs often target the winger as the former Norwich man has won 49 fouls, second only to Callum Lang in the squad.
In contrast, following three successive games without a clean sheet, Jayden Bogle and the rest of the Leeds defence will be keen to keep the Portsmouth attack at bay.
The right-back has provided 23 interceptions and won a squad-high 54 tackles while offering Dan James a constant overlap and chipping in with four goals plus two assists.
He is, however, currently walking a suspension tightrope as a single booking before gameweek 37 will see him miss two fixtures of Leeds’ promotion run-in.
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Connor Ogilvie vs Dan James
The man who is practically the first name on Mousinho’s team sheet is left-back Connor Ogilvie.
A strong figure in the Portsmouth defence, he has won 21 tackles and provided 41 interceptions, the most in the squad.
Ogilvie has further scored four goals to sit fourth in the Pompey scoring charts, trailing three of Mousinho’s frontline.
Much like Murphy operating in front of him, Ogilvie is a regular nuisance for opposition wide men as he has won 45 fouls in his 34 appearances.
Despite experiencing a quieter afternoon than usual against West Brom, Dan James was still able to register his ninth assist of the campaign with an inch-perfect cross for Firpo’s header.
James has scored 10 goals this season and his total contributions place him third in the Championship behind only Finn Azaz and Joel Piroe.
The Welshman’s pace in behind defences can be lethal for the Whites’ attack, with James becoming the main outlet for shots at goal, attempting 54 and getting 31 on target.
Alongside Manor Solomon, James’ impressive recent form has seen him keep both Wilfried Gnonto and summer signing Largie Ramazani out of the squad.
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Colby Bishop vs Joe Rodon
Colby Bishop recently saw his Portsmouth deal extended to the end of the 2027-28 season and will be looking to repay that faith by firing Pompey to safety.
He has failed to find the net in eight of his last 10 appearances, though, with goals against Cardiff and Stoke City the outliers in that run.
Yet, after 45 goals in two seasons at Fratton Park, Bishop has earned Mousinho’s faith and is sure to exploit a no longer unstoppable Leeds defence come Sunday.
Leeds have Joe Rodon to thank for securing a point against West Brom as the central defender successfully chased down the driving Tom Fellows in the 90th minute, tackling the winger and preventing a second home loss of the season for the Whites.
Despite Farke’s side conceding in their last three games, Rodon has continued to put in impressive performances against strong attacking outfits.
Indeed, Rodon has been ever-present for the Whites this season and is likely to be partnered with Pascal Struijk for the remainder of the campaign following an injury to club captain Ethan Ampadu.
The Welshman has also chipped in with 19 successful tackles and 21 interceptions as his club chase down automatic promotion.
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Adil Aouchiche vs Ao Tanaka
Adil Aouchiche is yet to set the world alight since his late loan move from Sunderland to Portsmouth in the summer transfer window.
The former PSG prospect has provided just a single assist in the Championship so far, which came all the way back in December against Bristol City.
Mousinho will be hoping to see a staunch improvement from Aouchiche, and it could come by the Frenchman exploiting Leeds on the break and driving into space he is not typically afforded.
While clearly a talented footballer and still only 22, Aouchiche is in danger of becoming just another name on the failed wonderkids list.
He will face his biggest test to date on Sunday when he comes up against Ao Tanaka in the Leeds midfield.
Tanaka continues to showcase his incredible defensive talent, with the Japanese international providing the most interceptions in the squad at 40 alongside making 44 successful tackles.
He was also in the right place at the right time to snatch the winner in Leeds’ recent victory at Bramall Lane with a deft header from six yards out.
The Leeds midfielder has further won 41 fouls in his 27 starts while giving away 40.
Summary
Sunday’s clash comes at a crucial time for both sides.
Portsmouth are looking to maintain their distance from the drop zone on the back of a strong run of form lately, while league leaders Leeds need to get back on track after a misstep last time out against West Brom.
It is shaping up to be a cagey affair, but it is one I feel Leeds should just about edge.
Score prediction: Portsmouth 0-1 Leeds United
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