Portsmouth

Portsmouth and Derby County meet for a vital encounter in the Championship relegation battle at Fratton Park on Saturday (15:00 BST).

Pompey have lost four of their past five games (W1) and are three points above the drop zone.

The Rams have lost just one of their previous six matches (W4 D1) to move out of the bottom three on goal difference and would climb above Portsmouth with victory.

• Portsmouth are without a win in their previous nine league meetings with Derby County (D5 L4) since a 3-1 victory in the Premier League in January 2008.

• Derby have only won one of their past seven league visits to Portsmouth (D4 L2), although are unbeaten in their last four (W1 D3).

• Portsmouth have won 10 of their past 14 home league games (D2 L2), conceding just nine goals in total during that time.

• Derby have won just two of their 20 away league games this season (D5 L13), conceding 1.8 goals on average per match during that time.

• Derby County's John Eustace has faced Portsmouth once before in the Championship as a manager, with that coming in January with Blackburn, a 3-0 win.

Portsmouth fell to a gut-wrenching defeat in the 94th minute at Coventry on Wednesday - their 15th away loss this season.

Pompey have won just twice in 21 games away from home, picking up only 10 points from a possible 63.

It was the seventh time this season John Mousinho's side have dropped points in the final five minutes of a game, meaning they have given up a total of nine points late in matches so far in 2024-25.

Chris Wise and Andy Moon discuss what went wrong at the CBS Arena and why Portsmouth keep conceding late goals on BBC Radio Solent's Who Needs Mourinho? podcast.

They also look ahead to a vital match against relegation rivals Derby County at Fratton Park on Saturday (15:00 BST), with Pompey just three points above the drop zone with five games to play.

Listen to the latest episode of the Who Needs Mourinho? podcast on BBC Sounds.

Andrew Moon
BBC Radio Solent Portsmouth commentator

Image source, Rex Features

It has not usually been pretty following Portsmouth on the road this season but the loss to Coventry will be one of the toughest ones for fans to take.

For 93 minutes Pompey defended solidly. There were moments where bodies had to be put on the line but Nicolas Schmid didn't have many saves to make. Regan Poole and Connor Ogilvie were immense at the heart of the defence.

Once again though the Blues learnt the hard way that you cannot switch off even in the final minute. Jamie Paterson's finish was excellent but the goal was completely avoidable.

After 12 defeats in 13 away games, thank goodness three of the final five matches are at Fratton Park.

Two wins will likely be enough to stay up. However things are much tighter and much nervier than anyone would have predicted just a few weeks ago.

Coventry City welcome Portsmouth for an important clash at both ends of the Championship table on Wednesday night (20:00 BST).

The Sky Blues are seventh and outside the play-off spots by just one point but since a run of nine wins in 10 games, Frank Lampard's side have now lost three of their past four.

Portsmouth are four points clear of the relegation zone in 17th and have lost three of their previous four games - Pompey have also won just twice away from home in the league this season (D4 L14).

• Coventry City have won just one of their past seven league meetings with Portsmouth (D2 L4), although that was this exact fixture the last time they hosted Pompey, a 1-0 win in February 2020.

• After their 4-1 win in December, Portsmouth could complete only their second ever league double over Coventry City, previously achieving this in 2018-19.

• Coventry City have not won any of their past eight league games played on a Wednesday (D3 L5) since a 1-0 victory at home to Blackburn in October 2023.

• Portsmouth have lost all five of their midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) league games away from home this season by an aggregate score of 2-14.

• Coventry have lost three of their four league meetings with newly promoted sides this season (W1), last losing four times to promoted sides in a league campaign in 2015-16, and last doing so in the Championship in 2011-12.

Tom Chappell
Fan writer from Fournilwrittenalloverit

Image source, Rex Features

There is seemingly a palpable shift in opinion within pockets of the Pompey fanbase - from what was relative confidence of divisional status in the Championship next season - to a tangible fragility and nervousness in view of just how tight these last few weeks are going to feel during the campaign's climax.

That shift is in large part down to Pompey's inability to learn anything about themselves from previous misadventures away from home - twinned with an almost expected late resurgence from a number of sides below us.

While games on the road are less attributable to conceding four or five now, and more often than not separated by the single goal - there is a horrible repeat pattern of no sooner looking like rescuing a point, to undoing it all and coming away with absolutely nothing.

Both the Preston and Millwall 2-1 defeats have similarities in scoreline and endeavour only visible after conceding.

Colby Bishop had probably the biggest chance of the first half, Matt Ritchie in turn struck the upright moments before Pompey's equaliser which felt like it would never find the back of the net. Outside of the aforementioned, there was little troubling Lukas Jensen all afternoon.

If Pompey are to stay in the Championship, it will almost certainly be through heavy reliance on fortunes at Fratton Park.

Which, albeit had been a source for an awful lot of our joy this season - heaps huge pressure on the outcomes of our remaining home games.

Maximum home points and minimum away points would just about be enough from here.

If anything is to be taken from the upcoming midweek trip to Coventry - it will also have to come by doing something different away from home.

Pompey points away from home have come at a premium at the best of times, so a handful of those to aid the fight at the sharp end of a relegation battle would be extremely welcome.

Andrew Moon
BBC Radio Solent's Portsmouth commentator

Image source, Rex Features

Portsmouth have now lost 11 of their past 12 away matches. However, while earlier in the season they were being well beaten it's now three away losses in row in by a single goal in games they probably didn't deserve to lose.

The first half was a physical battle and as bad a spectacle as you could witness. Millwall strangely sat back after scoring and Pompey's goal came after their best spell of the game

But as at Preston, after doing the hard bit, Pompey couldn't hold on for a point, with Millwall sending in one more ball into the box than Portsmouth could cope with.

Pompey remain in a good position to avoid relegation but the pressure on home matches will be ginormous if they keep losing away.

Portsmouth will seek to end their away-day blues when they head to Millwall on Saturday (15:00 BST).

John Mousinho's men have won just two of their 19 games on the road this season, collecting just 10 points in total, though one of those wins did come in London against QPR.

The Lions are four places and six points ahead of Pompey, who lie 17th and now only five points ahead of the drop-zone after Derby's win over Preston on Wednesday night.

A home win could take Alex Neil's side back into the top-10 and potentially within three points of the play-off places, depending on Middlesbrough's result against Blackburn on Friday night.

• Millwall have won their past three league games against Portsmouth, winning each of those matches exactly 1-0. The Lions have never previously won four in a row against Pompey.

• This is Portsmouth's first away league visit to Millwall since Boxing Day in 2011 – the Lions won 1-0 with a goal from Dany N'Guessan.

• Millwall are looking to win back-to-back home league games for the first time since a run of three in October and November earlier this campaign.

• Portsmouth have won five of their last eight league games (L3). Since the start of this run on 11 February, only Burnley (20), Sheffield United (19) and Coventry (18) have picked up more points than Pompey (15).

• Portsmouth's Josh Murphy has been involved in seven goals in his last nine Championship appearances (2 goals, 5 assists) and has 10 assists overall for Pompey this season. The last player with more in a league season for the club was Ricky Holmes in 2013-14 (11).

Image source, Getty Images

John Mousinho feels Pompey have deserved more points for their efforts on the road this season and hopes they can prove it in the final weeks of the campaign.

The Blues have lost nine of their past 10 games on their travels and taken only 10 points from 19 away games all season long - 23rd overall in the Championship.

They sit five points clear of the drop-zone ahead of a trip to Millwall on Saturday (15:00 BST) and visit Coventry, Norwich and Sheffield Wednesday before the end of the season, with three games at Fratton Park.

"I've felt we've definitely been in games," Mousinho told BBC Radio Solent.

"If I cast my mind back I think we deserved to probably win the game at Sheffield United, not just draw it, but we ended up losing.

"We beat Oxford, then we had the disappointment at Preston. That was probably the culmination of going 'we've been decent enough away from home but have not been picking up the points we deserve and need to pick up.'

"That's a big part of the frustration - we're in games. When we get blown away, we get blown away, hopefully we're on a better track now and have put steps in place to try and ensure that doesn't happen.

"We've been in games and we now need to convert those into points."

Image source, Rex Features

Portsmouth boss John Mousinho has been speaking to the media ahead of the trip to Millwall on Saturday (15:00 BST).

Here are the key takeaways from his press conference:

• Kusini Yengi is "fine" and has been back in full training this week after missing the 1-0 win over Blackburn with a hamstring injury he picked up on international duty in training with Australia.

• Defenders Rob Atkinson and Conor Shaughnessy are both "very close to returning to full training" but neither will be fit to play this weekend.

• Alex Milosevic is "very hungry" to make his debut and "doing everything he can to get up to speed" after signing in March until the end of the season.

• Millwall have been a "very solid team this season" and Alex Neil has done a "good job".

• "I thought they were excellent [at Sunderland] and unlucky to lose 1-0," Mousinho told BBC Radio Solent. "They're a very physical, dangerous side that can also play. It would be a bit of an error to think it's just going to be a physical game. They play some good football as well."

• On how big an achievement it would be if Pompey finished in mid-table: "Honestly, we're not thinking about that at the moment. The only thing we have to worry about is where we are in relation to the bottom three. That's the most important thing at this stage of the season."

• Mousinho added: "If we manage to do it, the next part of progression through the summer will be looking at how we turn ourselves into a more comfortable mid-table team next year."

Listen to Portsmouth boss John Mousinho discussing the latest team news on BBC Sounds.

Image source, Rex Features

Portsmouth defender Connor Ogilvie says he has adapted to life in the Championship in his first season playing at this level.

The 29-year-old impressed again last weekend during Pompey's 1-0 win over Blackburn Rovers at Fratton Park.

"I always try to believe in my ability, I knew I could do it," Ogilvie told BBC Radio Solent ahead of the trip to Millwall on Saturday (15:00 BST).

"It was just a case of adapting to the Championship and I feel like I've done that now."

Ogilvie, who switched from left-back to centre-back in the past two games and has also chipped in with four league goals this season, says he's worked on being "more aggressive" and "subtle details" in training to improve.

"That is why I joined Portsmouth, to be in the Championship," said Ogilvie, who spent three years in League One with the club before winning promotion last season.

"Obviously it took a little while longer than we hoped for but we got there and we just need to maintain that Championship status now."

Pompey are seven points clear of the drop zone in 17th with seven games remaining and Ogilvie says "results are the main thing now".

"It's in our hands, we've put ourselves in a good place but now it's just about us, what we do on the pitch to get the results needed to stay up," he added.

"Performances could be here nor there, so we just need to get the results and hopefully the performances to match them."

Listen to Connor Ogilvie's full interview on BBC Sounds

Image source, Rex Features

"Scrappy, not sensational, but much-needed success for Pompey at the weekend."

Chris Wise and Andy Moon reflect on Portsmouth's "horrible" but important 1-0 win over Blackburn Rovers at the weekend.

The victory leaves John Mousinho's side 17th in the Championship and seven points clear of the relegation zone with seven games remaining.

They discuss a "match for the defence", Connor Ogilvie's impressive run of form, all-time favourite Greeks to have played for the club, and much more.

Listen to the latest episode of the Who Needs Mourinho? podcast on BBC Sounds.

Tom Chappell
Fan writer from Fournilwrittenalloverit

Image source, Rex Features

If it hadn't been already, Saturday confirmed it is very much results over performance territory at this stage of the season for Pompey.

It was almost as if everything a seething John Mousinho called out on the touchline a fortnight ago at Deepdale had an answer provided for it at Fratton.

A well-executed press, numerous industrious challenges (which fitted the 'foul early' mould called for by Mousinho) and an immeasurably better managed closing stage to the game - Terry Devlin's run to the corner flag was a pleasing watch.

'Winning ugly' has been far from a cornerstone of Pompey's season.

It doesn't fit the adage of either turning up slightly undercooked and being blown away by opposition as a consequence, or absolutely everything going our way on the day and being just about the better side.

This was a newfound form of victory for Pompey, a welcome sight with just a handful of games to go.

In the moment, the game felt tense - in large part perhaps due to the slim 1-0 lead afforded to us against a Blackburn side with an abundance of quality and speed on the break.

It's worth pointing out that Pompey's defending in transition has left little to the imagination at times this season, so that was always a concern.

Everyone knew the importance of a return to winning ways pre-game, the Fratton atmosphere remained on suitably good form throughout, another example of the players getting a continuous 'Blue Army' to see them over the line from all four stands.

No surprise really then that the points tally is up to 22 now at Fratton in the calendar year of 2025.

Man of the match Connor Ogilvie on fist pump duty was another one of the afternoon's highlights, ably complimented by a big-game Zak Swanson performance.

And without having countless memorable opportunities in front of goal, in the moment it mattered, Colby Bishop and Josh Murphy combined superbly to win the game.

The competition is strong given that's goal number seven, but that was probably one of Murphy's better finishes in a Pompey shirt.

So, 45 points with seven games to go is not a bad position to be in at all in a campaign that was always going to be all about survival.

A win and a draw will probably do it. Given where we've been at times this season, that will do nicely.

Andrew Moon
BBC Radio Solent's Portsmouth commentator

Image source, Rex Features

Portsmouth match-winner Josh Murphy described it as a "horrible" game of football and it's hard to disagree, but I doubt anyone connected with Pompey will care.

The only goal in the match against Blackburn was a moment of rare quality and the only clear-cut chance in the game. Rovers looked short of confidence and very limited going forward.

Pompey's decision to tighten things up rather than go for a second after the break was fully vindicated.

It was a much-needed win after two disappointing defeats before the international break.

Now, a couple more victories should be enough from here to secure Championship status.

This fixture was first played as an FA Cup tie in January 1900 with the first league meeting played in 1927 so there is plenty of history between these two sides.

Pompey have moved four points clear of the Championship relegation zone while Blackburn have taken just one point from boss Valerien Ismael's first four games in charge.

• Portsmouth have lost five of their past six league games against Blackburn Rovers (D1), failing to score in four matches during that time.

• Blackburn Rovers have lost just two of their past 11 away league games against Portsmouth (W5 D4), winning this exact fixture 2-1 the last time it was played in February 2018.

• Portsmouth have lost each of their past two league games 2-1, and will be looking to avoid losing three in succession for the first time since September last year.

• Blackburn have lost six of their past seven away league games (W1), scoring multiple goals in just one of those matches during that time.

• Portsmouth's Josh Murphy has provided 10 assists in the league this season, with only Ricky Holmes ever providing more in a season for the club on Opta record (11 in League Two in 2013-14).

Image source, Rex Features

In the latest instalment of BBC Radio Solent's 'Who Needs Mourinho?' podcast, Portsmouth forward Callum Lang joins Chris Wise and Andy Moon to discuss Pompey's dip in form.

Also was he spotted in the away end at Preston? Where does his goal celebration come from? Who inspired him to join Pompey? He reveals all...

There's also your questions answered in Moon's Musings.

Listen to the full episode and more on the 'Who Needs Mourinho?' podcast.

Andrew Moon
BBC Radio Solent's Portsmouth commentator

Image source, Rex Features

Whenever you interview a player after a loss they always tell you they cannot wait to get back out there and put it right. If there is a game coming up three days later they view that as a positive.

However, a two-week break might be exactly what Portsmouth needed after the loss to Preston. Of course, there is frustration that the consecutive defeats in winnable games have seen their cushion over the relegation zone down to just four points. It is not a bad time to take stock though.

Back in November, Pompey would have given anything to be in this position. Even though Derby and Luton are making a recovery at the bottom, one point a game in the Blues final eight matches would almost certainly be enough to stay up.

Coventry away looks challenging but the rest are fairly kind with no matches remaining against sides in the top four.

Portsmouth are not playing badly. They lost to Plymouth because they struggled to break down a side who parked the bus and it is unlikely any other opponent will do that. They did not deserve to lose at Preston based on the balance of play.

Blackburn at home now feels like a huge match. Boss John Mousinho is right there is still plenty of work to do to secure survival but most of the bottom eight would gladly swap positions with Portsmouth right now

"At Fratton Park, it's never XI v XI. When you have the Fratton End, they've got this ability to suck the ball into the goal.

"It's an underdog city, an underdog club. But this situation suits them, it's a fighting city and I have no doubt they are going to find what it needs to stay on the right side of that line."

Aaron Paul and former Reading midfielder Jobi McAnuff are joined by Colchester boss Danny Cowley to discuss how Fratton Park could make all the difference in Portsmouth's fight against relegation.

Listen to the latest episode of 72+ on the Football Daily podcast.