Pick of the stats: Portsmouth v Middlesbrough
- Published
Portsmouth host sixth placed Middlesbrough on Saturday as the look to escape the relegation zone (15:00 GMT).
Pompey have lost their past two league games to put themselves just two points above basement dwellers Plymouth Argyle, however could lift themselves out of the bottom three with a home win.
On the other hand, Boro are on a six-match unbeaten streak in the league but did suffer an FA Cup third round loss to Blackburn Rovers last weekend.
Portsmouth have won just one of their last ten league games against Middlesbrough (D6 L3), a 2-1 victory at Fratton Park in September 2008 in the Premier League.
Five of the last six league games between Middlesbrough and Portsmouth have finished in draws, with Boro winning the other 3-1 in March 2012 courtesy of goals from Barry Robson, Matthew Bates and Marvin Emnes.
Pompey are unbeaten in their last five home league games (W4 D1), scoring three or more goals in their four wins during that spell; they could score 4+ goals in three straight matches at Fratton Park for the first time since October 1979.
Middlesbrough have drawn four of their last five league games (W1), as many stalemates as across their previous 24 Championship matches (W12 L8).
No teenager has been directly involved in more Championship goals so far this season than Middlesbrough's Ben Doak (2 goals, 6 assists); in fact, the Liverpool loanee also has the most assists across that same cohort in England's top four tiers in 2024-25 (6).