- 1 Portsmouth vs Sheffield United: a stubborn Pompey defence against a Blades attack that’s found its range
- 2 Portsmouth: one of the meanest defences outside the top six, five goals in six games
- 3 Sheffield United: Bamford back among the goals after three straight defeats
- 4 Free Football Prediction: Portsmouth vs Sheffield United
- 5 About our free predictions
- 6 No commitment from us
- 7 Information changes
- 8 Your responsibility
- 9 Responsible gambling
- 10 Legal age
- 11 About visuals
Portsmouth vs Sheffield United: a stubborn Pompey defence against a Blades attack that’s found its range 
Portsmouth lost the south coast derby on Sunday while playing the entire second half against ten men. James Bree’s early goal gave Southampton a 1-0 win, Cameron Bragg’s red card should’ve swung the game Pompey’s way, and it didn’t.
Three days later, John Mousinho’s side face a Sheffield United team in a far better mood. The Blades put three past Lincoln City on Saturday, Patrick Bamford scoring twice, and climbed to 14th, just two points off fifth.
The table tells you a lot. Portsmouth are 19th with eight points from eight games, one point above the bottom three, although they do have a game in hand. Sheffield United have 12 points from nine.
The data paints a specific picture here. Portsmouth’s defence is solid: only two sides outside the top six have conceded fewer than their 11. The attack is the issue, with five goals in their last six league matches.
Kick-off at Fratton Park is at 20:45 Paris time on Wednesday 14 October. The Blades won 1-0 on this ground in February and have taken three of the last four meetings between the clubs.
Does that history count for much? In a fixture likely to be decided by a single goal, more than you’d think.
Portsmouth: one of the meanest defences outside the top six, five goals in six games 
Five goals in their last six Championship matches. That’s the number Mousinho has to fix, and it’s the main reason a side with this defensive record sits 19th.
The home form has been patchy. Two defeats to open the season at Fratton Park, including a 2-0 loss to Derby, then a 2-0 win over Cardiff and a 2-2 draw with Blackburn. Four points from four home games is a thin return.
Connor Ogilvie and Josh Murphy remain out, and Conor Shaughnessy missed the trip to Southampton, which leaves Regan Poole and Madiodio Dia as the likely centre-back pair again.
Further forward, Adrian Segecic could come in behind Colby Bishop alongside Abu Kamara and Ryan Kavuma McQueen. More creativity is needed. Against Southampton’s ten men, they couldn’t find a way through in 45 minutes. That takes some explaining.
The positive is at the back: 11 conceded in eight games and a defence that keeps matches tight. In a fixture like this, that keeps Pompey in it for a long time. Whether it’s enough without goals is another matter.
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Sheffield United: Bamford back among the goals after three straight defeats 
Patrick Bamford already has five league goals this season. Two of them came on Saturday, when the Blades beat Lincoln 3-0 and finally looked like the side Chris Wilder wants them to be.
Before the break, it was grim. Three straight defeats in all competitions: 1-0 at home to Wolves, 1-0 at Fleetwood Town in the EFL Cup and 2-1 at Stoke. Losing a cup tie to a fourth-tier side doesn’t bear close inspection.
Tahith Chong scored and assisted on his first league start of the season against Lincoln, and Ben Brereton Diaz contributed from the other flank. Wilder may well name an unchanged XI, with Joe Rothwell alongside Sydie Peck in midfield.
Femi Seriki is still out, and Kalvin Phillips missed Saturday with a minor injury. His availability matters for control in midfield, but the Lincoln win suggests the side can cope without him.
Defensively, they’re no better than Portsmouth: 11 conceded in their first eight league games. The difference is at the other end. Twelve goals from nine games, a striker in form and two wide players who’ve just found their rhythm. That’s the edge.
Probable lineup Portsmouth: Schmid; Swanson, Poole, Dia, Meghoma; Pack, Adams; Kavuma McQueen, Kamara, Segecic; Bishop
Probable lineup Sheffield United: Cooper; Choudhury, Tanganga, Kitching, McCallum; Rothwell, Peck; Chong, Brereton Diaz; Bamford, Cannon
Free Football Prediction: Portsmouth vs Sheffield United
Our prediction: Sheffield United draw no bet
Sheffield United have the better attack, the better mood and the better recent record in this fixture, including a 1-0 win at Fratton Park in February. Portsmouth’s defence keeps games close, which is why we’d rather protect the stake against a draw.
Pompey’s five goals in six league games is the number that decides it. A side that couldn’t score against ten men on Sunday will find it hard to break down a Blades team that’s just rediscovered its confidence.
Draw no bet on Sheffield United backs the side with the attacking edge while covering the stalemate that this sort of tight Championship game can easily produce. That’s our pick.
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