Mark Lawrenson
BBC football expert

Southampton turned Bournemouth over when they met earlier in the season but I don't think they will repeat that at St Mary's.

The Cherries were slipping down the table until they stopped the rot with wins in their past two games, and they now know they will be fine.

Local pride is at stake here, just as it was on Merseyside earlier, and I can see Bournemouth putting up a decent fight and leaving with a point.

Prediction: 1-1

Simon Brotherton
Match of the Day commentator

Bournemouth's recent upturn in form has eased fears of being drawn into the relegation scrap and means they go into this game level on points with Southampton.

Eddie Howe's team could win three in a row for the first time in just over a year and, if they did, it would be a first ever win away to Saints.

Interestingly, Bournemouth's three-match unbeaten run has coincided with Jack Wilshere dropping out of the starting line-up, costing him  his England squad place., external

Meanwhile, two more Southampton players, Nathan Redmond and James Ward-Prowse, made their debuts for the Three Lions in the recent international break.

Add in the under-21s, an impressive total of  seven players, external  were called up from St Mary's for England duty.

One enforced change for Southampton from their last outing, a 2-1 defeat by Tottenham. Italian goal-getter Manolo Gabbiadini has a groin strain and is replaced up front by Jay Rodriguez.

Image source, Opta

As for Bournemouth, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Hunting a third straight win, Eddie Howe keeps faith with the same XI, with Joshua King looking to continue his sparkling form up front.

Image source, Opta

As for Southampton, a couple of things are certain. Uncertainty and goals.

Their last six Premier League games have seen them earn three wins and suffer three defeats. In that time, they've scored 14 and leaked 10.

A teams that scores plenty and ships just as many is fine by me.

Still, that doesn't mean El South Coastico is without its spoils.

After looking likely to be dragged into a relegation battle not long ago, back-to-back wins have got Bournemouth upwardly mobile.

Win again today and they leapfrog Saints into the top half. 

There's about 30 miles between Southampton and Bournemouth, but geographical closeness does not always breed contempt.

Saints fans are too busy loathing Portsmouth and these two sides went 50 years without playing each other in the league until 2010.

When is a derby not a derby?

When two relatively local sides don't really consider each other to be rivals and are not, well, friendly to each other, but certainly not unfriendly.