Preview: Sunderland vs. Portsmouth - prediction, team news, lineups

Portsmouth volition marque the agelong travel to the North-East for Sunday's Championship clash against Sunderland astatine the Stadium of Light.

The promotion-chasing hosts are sitting successful 4th spot successful the Championship table, portion Pompey volition caput into the play successful 21st position.

Match preview

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Sunderland experienced an underwhelming extremity to 2024, conceding a precocious equaliser successful a 2-2 distant gully against Blackburn Rovers, earlier falling to a constrictive decision successful their gathering with Stoke City astatine the bet365 Stadium.

After taking conscionable 1 constituent from those 2 distant games, the Black Cats returned to the Stadium of Light to footwear disconnected the caller twelvemonth with a 2-1 triumph implicit promotion rivals Sheffield United.

Eliezer Mayenda saw his opener cancelled retired by Luke O'Nien's ain goal, earlier Wilson Isidor restored Sunderland's pb successful the 35th infinitesimal with what proved to beryllium the winning goal.

That effect represents Sunderland's 3rd triumph successful 4 location matches, helping them support their unbeaten grounds astatine the Stadium of Light this season.

In fact, Regis Le Bris's broadside are 1 of 2 teams yet to suffer a Championship location crippled this term, having won 8 and drawn 4 of their 12 league matches successful beforehand of their supporters.

They volition look to support that awesome grounds successful Sunday's clash against Portsmouth, with the hosts aiming to implicit a league treble aft moving retired 3-1 winners successful August's reverse fixture.

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While Sunderland are battling for promotion, Pompey are warring to clasp their Championship presumption arsenic they look to debar an contiguous instrumentality to League One.

Portsmouth bounced backmost from consecutive distant defeats with a ascendant 4-0 triumph successful their New Year's Day gathering with Swansea City astatine Fratton Park.

Josh Murphy and Paddy Lane grabbed a extremity apiece successful the opening fractional hour, earlier Ryley Towler and Colby Bishop recovered the nett successful the 2nd fractional to wrapper up a 4th triumph successful 5 location matches (D1).

As a effect of Wednesday's commanding victory, John Mousinho's broadside moved retired of the Championship relegation zone, leaving them 1 constituent wide of the bottommost 3 up of the weekend's circular of fixtures.

While Pompey person enjoyed occurrence successful caller location outings, they person been incapable to transportation that signifier onto their travels, demonstrated by the information that they person won conscionable 1 of their 12 Championship roadworthy trips this word (D4, L7).

Only Plymouth Argyle (35) person conceded much distant league goals than Portsmouth (29) this season, suggesting that they whitethorn person their enactment chopped retired to thwart a Sunderland broadside that volition statesman the play arsenic the division's fourth-highest scorers.

Sunderland Championship form:

Portsmouth Championship form:

Team News

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Le Bris has confirmed that helium volition person to header without Dan Ballard's services for a 3rd consecutive game, with the Sunderland brag reluctant to instrumentality immoderate risks with the cardinal defender.

The hosts are besides without Chris Rigg, Alan Browne, Salis Abdul Samed, Ahmed Abdullahi, Romaine Mundle, Ian Poveda and Tommy Watson.

Full-back Dennis Cirkin could beryllium recalled to the broadside to diagnostic successful a backmost 4 with Trai Hume, Chris Mepham and O'Nien.

As for the visitors, they are expected to beryllium without Ibane Bowat, Conor Shaughnessy, Regan Poole, Mark O'Mahony, Kusini Yengi and Harvey Blair.

Australian defender Jacob Farrell is closing successful connected a instrumentality to action, but it remains to beryllium seen whether helium volition beryllium acceptable for the weekend.

After seeing his broadside expanse past Swansea connected Wednesday, Mousinho could determine to prime an unchanged lineup for Sunday's distant fixture.

Sunderland imaginable starting lineup:
Patterson; Hume, Mepham, O'Nien, Cirkin; Neil, Bellingham; Roberts, Mayenda, Aouchiche; Isidor

We say: Sunderland 3-1 Portsmouth

Portsmouth whitethorn person cruised to each 3 points successful Wednesday's location clash against Swansea, but they person mislaid 4 of their erstwhile 5 distant matches, and we deliberation that their away-day struggles volition proceed against a Sunderland broadside that person won 3 of their past 4 location games.

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