Portsmouth v Leeds: David Prutton shares what he can see happening at Fratton Park
Portsmouth welcome Leeds United to Fratton Park on Sunday in the standout match of the Championship week.
Portsmouth host the league leaders in what is a clash between two Championship sides on the opposite sides of the spectrum.
Pompey sit 17th in the Championship table with 39 points, eight points above the drop zone, whereas Leeds are cruising towards a Premier League promotion, leading the league with 76 points.
Portsmouth will need to contain a high-flying Leeds side who are on a 17-game unbeaten streak.
David Prutton predicts Portsmouth v Leeds United result
Portsmouth away is always a tricky fixture for the visiting teams. Based on home form, Pompey would sit 11th in the table, winning eight games, drawing five and losing four this term.
Their last loss at home came in January and a home defeat before that dates back to October 2024. Leeds will have their work cut out, especially after they were held to a 1-1 draw against West Brom last weekend.
David Prutton spoke to The Essential EFL podcast and predicted the Whites’ upcoming trip to Portsmouth.
He said: “You’ve got to give some credit to West Brom. You can get sucked into the Leeds narrative but West Brom have a very, very adept squad at this level. I think this is a really tough one for Leeds.
“Very vocal at home, they will love Leeds travelling down, this has the makings of a really good match. Leeds are a Premier League team in waiting. I’m going to go 2-2. A rambunctious Sunday afternoon.”
Can Portsmouth’s leaky defence contain Leeds’ clinical attack?
Pompey are 17th in the league table and have one of the worst goals conceded records this term. John Mousinho’s side have the second-worst record in the Championship, shipping 57 goals in 35 games, a record only worse than Plymouth, who have conceded 70.
Despite tinkering with the backline on several occasions, Mousinho has failed to stop the opposition from penetrating his defence too easily.
The firing Leeds frontline of Joel Piroe, Manor Solomon and Daniel James have wreaked havoc on the opposition defences, scoring 32 goals between them. The Whites have netted 72 goals in 35 games, 20 goals more than the second-best goalscoring side Sunderland.
| Position | Club | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | GD | Points |
| 1 | Leeds United | 35 | 22 | 10 | 3 | +50 | 76 |
| 17 | Portsmouth | 35 | 10 | 9 | 16 | –14 | 39 |
Leeds are the clear favourites to secure three points on Sunday but if the hosts are to stand a chance, they will need their defence to be top-notch.