Portsmouth vs Norwich preview: Team news, likely lineups, scoreline prediction
Portsmouth take on Norwich City at Fratton Park this Saturday, and they’ll be hoping to build on their opening day win against Oxford United.
The Blues took all three points with a hard-fought 1-0 victory at Oxford thanks to a first-half strike from debutant Adrian Segecic.
However, their first home game of the season could be even tougher, as Norwich have been labelled by many pundits as a strong candidate to reach the playoffs this season.
The Canaries’ new manager Liam Manning has been very busy in the transfer market, plus he has one of the Championship’s deadliest strikers in Josh Sergeant.
Below, Pompey News rounds up the team news for both sides and offers a prediction for the game.
Mousinho could name unchanged side from Oxford win
Portsmouth came out of the Oxford match with no new injuries, plus most of the players who started that match were rested for the Carabao Cup tie with Reading.
So, John Mousinho is most likely to name the same starting XI who began the opening match of the season.
Luke Le Roux played well against Reading in midweek, and some fans have called for him to start this game, but he may have to settle for a place on the substitutes’ bench.
Norwich lost their opening league game at home to Millwall and lost Amankwah Forson to a hamstring injury.
He’s struggling to be available for this game, but Manning is likely to keep faith with most of the other players who started that match.
Predicted line-ups
Portsmouth: Schmid, Williams, Poole, Shaughnessy, Ogilvie, Swift, Dozzell, Lang, Segecic, Bianchini, Bishop
Norwich: Kovacevic, Medic, Darling, Cordoba, Stacey, Wright, Topic, Schlupp, Kvistgaarden, Crnac, Sargent
Prediction: Portsmouth 0-1 Norwich
Norwich were already one of the stronger sides in the Championship, and they have strengthened further in the transfer window.
If they can keep hold of Sargent, they will have a great chance of finishing the season in the playoff places.
Sargent scored against Millwall and followed that up with a goal in their 2-1 Carabao Cup win at Watford.
It could certainly prove tough to keep him quiet for 90 minutes at Fratton Park on Saturday.
Portsmouth will apply the pressure in front of the home fans, but Norwich could prove a little bit too strong in this match.
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