- Portsmouth form: Portsmouth have won three and drawn two of their last five Championship 2026/2027 fixtures, including a 2-1 home win against Millwall and a 0-0 away draw against Burnley.
- Stoke form: Stoke have won three, drawn one and lost one of their last five Championship 2026/2027 contests, including a 1-0 win at Derby County and a 2-0 home victory over Preston.
- Head-to-head: Portsmouth have won two of the last three meetings and claimed a 3-1 away win in the last meeting in Championship 2025/2026.
Stoke can nick it, but Pompey can snatch three points
Portsmouth will be a slight favourite at 2.32 when they entertain Stoke in the Championship 2026/2027 at Fratton Park on Saturday, but the Potters can be a threat at 2.98 and the draw at 3.25 is also playable in what should be a tight match-up.
Portsmouth have won 3, drawn 1 and lost 2 of their six home fixtures in the Championship 2026/2027 to date, scoring 1.67 goals per game on average and conceding 1.67. Stoke have won 3, drawn 1 and lost 2 of their 6 Championship 2026/2027 away fixtures, averaging 1.33 goals scored per match and 1.67 goals conceded.
Portsmouth, who sit 11th in the table with 19 points from 13 games, have a mid-table base to build from and will remain in the chase if they can extend their unbeaten run in the Championship 2026/2027 to three with a win over Stoke, who are 7th with 23 points from 13.
John Mousinho’s pragmatism has Pompey in the hunt
Mousinho's approach
John Mousinho has done a good job at Portsmouth since taking over in January 2023, although his methods have been more pragmatic of late, even a little direct, depending on who is in goal at the other end.
Tactical set-ups
- Pompey generally line up in a narrow 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 formation, which suits their pocket players and allows them to control the ball in the build-up before exploding into the final third when necessary.
- Stoke are a much more modern side in the way Mark Robins has set them up to play since he took charge in January 2025, and they are more aggressive from the back.
- Robins' three-at-the-back formation relies heavily on his wing-backs and he has ensured the transitions are very slick – so this is likely to be a central control game on the part of Pompey vs an overload game from the Potters.
Potters’ pace will be the difference
Stoke will be buoyed by their unbeaten record in their last 2 away matches, but Pompey are unbeaten in their last 2 home matches too, so the hosts shouldn't be rattled by the occasion or the opposition.
Marko Milovanovic is Pompey's key player with 2 goals in 5 Championship 2026/2027 appearances – making him their main outlet in the penalty area. Ethan Galbraith is Stoke's spark with 3 goals and 3 assists in the Championship 2026/2027, driving their finishing and chance creation, while Ben Wilmot has chipped in with 2 of the six goals scored in their last 5.
Portsmouth have averaged 1.5 goals per home match in this fixture, while Stoke have averaged just 1.0 away goals against Pompey in their 4 head-to-head meetings. Under 2.5 goals at 1.7 looks a perfect fit in this match-up, but I am edging towards Pompey to nick the game in a tight and tactical battle.
