Portsmouth ‘could be back in relegation mire’ with events 190 miles away
Portsmouth’s hard work pushing away from the relegation zone last weekend could all be undone by a game 190 miles away on Wednesday.
Pompey put themselves seven points away from the relegation zone last weekend after an impressive and hard-fought victory against Blackburn Rovers.
The Blues provided an upset as Blackburn are currently pushing to try and earn a place in the playoffs at the end of the season, which is why most people didn’t give John Mousinho’s side much of a chance before the game.
Josh Murphy scored the only goal of the game as Portsmouth went on to keep a rare clean sheet, which is something that they have struggled with throughout the season, as only one team have conceded more goals than them currently.
However, all of Portsmouth’s hard work to provide some breathing room in the relegation fight might end up being for nothing.
Derby could close the gap on Pompey
Derby play Preston North End on 2 April at Pride Park, and they have the opportunity of shrinking the gap that Portsmouth created.
A win for the Rams would take them to just four points behind Pompey, which would immediately throw the Blues back in the relegation mire ahead of this weekend.
| Championship | Played | GD | Points |
| 17. Portsmouth | 39 | -14 | 45 |
| 18. Stoke | 39 | -12 | 42 |
| 19. Oxford United | 39 | -17 | 42 |
| 20. Hull | 39 | -9 | 41 |
| 21. Cardiff | 39 | -20 | 40 |
| 22. Derby | 38 | -11 | 38 |
Derby have played one game less than Portsmouth before tonight, which makes this a perfect opportunity for them to close the gap on those above them and place some pressure on.
A victory would lead to Derby overtaking Cardiff in the table, with Portsmouth only being five points above the Welsh side at the moment.
That would instantly put the pressure back on Mousinho’s men as they prepare to face Millwall away from home this weekend.
Portsmouth are focused on themselves
Even though a win for Derby would create some pressure for Portsmouth, their status in the division is ultimately in their own hands at this stage.
Mousinho has guided the team to a position where they are capable of retaining their future in the second tier of English football.
The Opta supercomputer recently predicted that Pompey will finish 17th at the end of the season, and that is a result that fans would happily take at this stage.