Preston v Portsmouth preview: Team news, lineups, head to head, betting odds
Portsmouth are aiming to secure three more points on the board before the international break when they meet Preston North End this weekend.
Pompey were stunned on Wednesday night (12 March) as Plymouth Argyle picked up their first away league success of the season at Fratton Park with a 2-1 win, just three days after John Mousinho’s men had battled to victory against Leeds United.
Another three days on and the demand picks up even further, with Mousinho taking his men north to face Preston at Deepdale (15 March), a ground they will enter for the first time in 12 years.
Preston v Portsmouth preview
Portsmouth were expecting to continue momentum from their victory over Championship leaders Leeds when they faced Plymouth, but the visitors earned a shock win at Fratton.
It’s important for Mousinho and the Blues that this doesn’t knock the wind from their sails at the wrong time, with the points gap to the drop zone now cut to seven points and plenty of lower clubs picking up their own performances.
Over in Paul Heckingbottom’s Preston camp, spirits are high as they remain the only side outside the Premier League left in the FA Cup, taking on Aston Villa in an all-important quarter-final clash at the end of this month.
However, for now, the Lilywhites sit 15th and just two points above Pompey, having picked up a credible 1-1 draw from Sunderland last time out (11 March) – denied all three points by an excellent late equaliser, which infuriated fans who were unhappy with the defensive approach after taking the lead.
Heckingbottom’s men have not won in the Championship for over a month now, their last success coming seven games ago with a 1-0 triumph at Norwich City (11 February).
Portsmouth team news v Preston
On the bright side for Portsmouth in midweek, they for once emerged with no fresh injury concerns. Even at Leeds, the shot of Adil Aouchiche nursing his ankle with an ice pack was a concern, but he came back excellently to score his first Pompey goal and will likely keep his place.
Terry Devlin, who replaced Aouchiche in an improvised attacking midfield role against Leeds, could slot into midfield with Freddie Potts potentially not up to full sharpness since his return to action.
The jury from some supporters is once again out on Marlon Pack in defence after an up-and-down week at centre-half, but Mousinho seems keen to include his leadership in the starting line-up.
Conor Shaughnessy, Callum Lang, Hayden Matthews and Rob Atkinson remain out, while the weekend is likely to come too soon for Jordan Williams.
Predicted line-ups
Preston: Woodman, Kesler-Hayden, Porteous, Gibson, Lindsay, Hughes, Potts, Ledson, Thordarson, Riis, Greenwood.
Portsmouth: Schmid, Swanson, Poole, Pack, Ogilvie, Dozzell, Devlin, Ritchie, Aouchiche, Murphy, Bishop.
Head-to-head
Portsmouth won the reverse fixture against Preston at Fratton Park in fairytale circumstances (9 November), as Colby Bishop stole the show by scoring a penalty to seal the win having returned from his heart surgery.
It was a first Fratton victory of the season in the Championship for Mousinho’s side, who have gone on to largely enjoy a solid run of home form since.
| Portsmouth – FA Cup run 2008 | Round |
| Ipswich 0-1 Portsmouth | Third round |
| Portsmouth 2-1 Plymouth | Fourth round |
| Preston 0-1 Portsmouth | Fifth round |
| Manchester United 0-1 Portsmouth | Quarter-final |
| Portsmouth 1-0 West Brom | Semi-final |
| Portsmouth 1-0 Cardiff | Final |
Two draws defined the 2012-13 season when the two sides last met in the league, relegated together to League One having faced off in the Championship the previous year.
Pompey’s last win at Deepdale came in February 2008, namely en route to the Blues’ iconic FA Cup triumph. A 1-0 victory set up the quarter-final tie with Manchester United at Old Trafford, courtesy of Darren Carter’s last-gasp own goal.
Preston v Portsmouth betting odds
Preston win: 11/10
Draw: 11/5
Portsmouth win: 5/2
Prediction: Preston 1-1 Portsmouth
Portsmouth were highly anticipated to overcome Plymouth but were surprisingly beaten; the exact opposite of what occurred on a memorable Sunday afternoon against Leeds at Fratton Park.
As a result, a draw could end up being the satisfactory medium at Deepdale here. Preston have been unable to muster a win in several weeks now, with one eye on the FA Cup.
Pompey are just very unpredictable at this point, and require enough consistency and momentum just to get the job done and finish in a nice mediocre position clear of any substantial relegation threat.
The Blues will create chances but are likely to come up against a physically assertive Preston backline, who have the pacy players out wide and up top to hit on the break. All square it is.