Match Preview: Portsmouth vs Leeds United | OneFootball

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Fixture: Portsmouth vs Leeds United Competition: Championship Kick-off: 12:00 UK time

Daniel Farke’s high-flying Leeds United side will be eagerly awaiting the opportunity to get back on to the pitch to put things right after Saturday’s 1-1 draw against West Bromwich Albion. After last season’s disappointment, the Whites do not want to leave anything to chance and therefore will look for nothing but a win against John Mousinho’s Portsmouth side.

They have made name for themselves for being an attacking team and things will be no different when they visit Fratton Park this afternoon.

Portsmouth, on the other hand, have found consistency lacking this season and though they have managed to create some breathing space between themselves and relegation battlers Luton Town, they are not guaranteed safety. Pompey have won three of their last five league games but were beaten away from home by the Hatters last weekend.

Mousinho knows all about the gigantic nature of the job his team will have in hand and will prepare his cards accordingly. He will also take into account Leeds United’s less than perfect record away from home and will want to exploit that.

Farke though will want his team to play their usual attacking style of football and try to break Portsmouth’s defence down with a barrage of attacks.

No matter what the final result is, it is going to be a busy day for Portsmouth’s Austrian goalkeeper Nicolas Schmid.

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Key Men

Leeds United

Given the serious nature of the job Leeds United have in hand, Farke is hardly expected to make any drastic changes to his team for the all-important away match.

Joel Piroe will be the trusted name in attack while Brenden Aaronson will provide the usual support behind him. Leeds United’s player of the month for February, Junior Firpo can be a difference maker yet again.

Portsmouth

Key to Portsmouth’s success will be their defenders and hence Regan Poole and skipper Marlon Pack could be key influencers. In attack Colby Bishop could give that much needed breakthrough that might be enough to give Portsmouth those much-needed three points.

Prediction

It could be a long afternoon for the hosts given the type of game Leeds United play. They are going to come at the hosts time and again and Mousinho will have to come up with tactics to stop them. Once that task is complete, they can then go out on counter-attack to score that one goal that might be decisive.

There is every possibility for the opposite to happen though. The Whites are on a roll and their confidence is running high at this point in time. They can eventually win the game comfortably. The fact that the game is being played away from Elland Road could be a crucial factor in making it close though.