PREVIEW | Portsmouth vs Derby County - team news, lineups, predictions

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·10 April 2025

PREVIEW | Portsmouth vs Derby County - team news, lineups, predictions

Portsmouth and Derby County face off this Saturday at Fratton Park in the EFL Championship.

Pompey have picked up 45 points and currently lie 17th in the division, the south coast club suffering a couple of away defeats in recent times, the most recent of which came courtesy of a 1-0 loss against Coventry City last time out.

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Derby, meanwhile, will hope to tug Portsmouth into their current relegation battle. The Rams have won 42 points to date and are in 21st position. Last time out, John Eustace's team drew 0-0 against automatic promotion hopefuls Burnley.

The last meeting between the two teams saw Derby triumph convincingly: 4-0.

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Freddie Webb (Pompey News Now): A sickening last-minute goal to dash Pompey’s hopes was not what they deserved last time out at Coventry, but you could see it coming. Having employed an aggressive and effective high press in the first half, Portsmouth ran out of steam and moments of quality gave the Sky Blues three points. Colby Bishop was raging after Cohen Brammall blazed a shot over the bar instead of squaring it, and Ogilvie had his head in his hands after his only lapse of concentration was punished. Now, they have to deal with a 'six-pointer' that could define their season.

Derby are coming to Fratton Park in a rich vein of form, under the rejuvenating guidance of John Eustace. Their tactics match up well against Pompey. They employ a back-three with a low block and quick counter attacks, something the Blues have struggled to deal with - even at home. John Mousinho will have to drag his players off the floor and ask them to go again, hoping they can make the most of their possession and win vital duels high up the pitch when they don’t have the ball. People talk about a relegation six-pointer, but this is even more important than that. This could be the difference between Championship survival, and sickening relegation.

Prediction: 2-2

Cory Hancock (Rams Review Podcast): The Rams visit the south coast with a highly credible point in their pocket. The Rams held table-topping (at the time) Burnley to a nil- nil draw. While the game won’t make any highlight reels in the future, this point could be invaluable come the end of the season. Derby have only won two matches all season on the road, so this visit is crucial to put that record right and (more importantly) to put more points on the board. The team put in a fantastic defensive display against The Clarets, hopefully this will continue to provide confidence for the squad going forward.

Pompey come into the game in poor form, having picked up just one point in their last five league games. Both teams are desperate for three points to help in their battles for survival (the Rams are only three points behind Pompey).

This will be a very edgy game, with a lot at stake for both sides. However, the Rams defensively solidarity should give them a nice springboard to build from and hopefully they can nick a goal (and three points)!