Sports Mole previews Saturday's Championship clash between Birmingham City and Portsmouth, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Aiming to get back to winning ways on home soil, Birmingham City welcome Portsmouth to St Andrew's @ Knighthead Park in the Championship on Saturday afternoon.
Blues suffered a narrow defeat at the home of in-form Bristol City last time out, while Pompey were the masters of their own downfall against Stoke City on the South Coast.
Match preview
Following an exceptional 29-game home league unbeaten run stretching over 16 months, Birmingham City suffered defeat during their last fixture at St Andrew's @ Knighthead Park, with a Jay Stansfield brace not enough to avoid a 3-2 loss to visitors Hull City on October 18.
Since then, Blues have collected three points from a pair of away contests, with a Phil Neumann header securing a backs-to-the-wall triumph at Preston North End on October 21, before a rare Sinclair Armstrong goal condemned Chris Davies's side to defeat at Bristol City last Saturday.
After winning just one of their last six matches in the second tier, pre-season promotion favourites Birmingham have slumped to 15th place in the Championship rankings ahead of this weekend's hosting of Portsmouth, four points behind Charlton Athletic in sixth spot.
Finding the net on just 11 occasions across 12 league fixtures so far this season, only four teams in the division have scored on fewer occasions than Blues, who are still waiting for exciting summer signings such as Kyogo Furuhashi and Marvin Ducksch to get firing.
Birmingham's most recent clash versus Portsmouth was a forgettable one in terms of the scoreline - a 3-0 loss in the first round of the 2019-20 EFL Cup - however the contest holds major significance in the history books, with a teenage Jude Bellingham making his senior debut that night at Fratton Park.
After a 16th-placed finish in the Championship on their return to the level for the first time in 12 years last season, Portsmouth are on a mission to push on this time around, however head coach John Mousinho is struggling to get a consistency tune out of his squad.
Pompey have now won just one of their last eight second-tier matches after another narrow Fratton Park defeat last Saturday, when young defender Hayden Matthews had an afternoon to forget, netting an own goal - one which proved to be the decisive moment of the fixture.
Looking to avoid three consecutive competitive defeats for the first time since the middle of January, Portsmouth travel to the Second City sitting 18th in the Championship table, four points above the drop zone and currently six points off realising their faint playoff ambitions.
Whilst six points from five matches away from Fratton Park represents a modest return, Mousinho's men have picked up some standout results on the road so far this season, earning draws at newly-promoted duo Southampton and Ipswich Town, whilst also defeating Oxford United.
A summer arrival on loan from the aforementioned Tractor Boys, Conor Chaplin is yet to find his best form for Portsmouth after failing to provide a goal contribution across his first seven appearances for the club, with the attacking midfielder a key part of Ipswich's promotion-winning term of 2023-24.
Birmingham City Championship form: L D D L W L
Portsmouth Championship form: L D W D L L
Team News
Birmingham are set to welcome Bright Osayi-Samuel back to the matchday squad this weekend, with the Nigeria international suspended for the defeat at Bristol City.
The return of the right-back could allow Tomoki Iwata to retain his more regular spot in central midfield, potentially partnering Paik Seung-ho.
Centre-back Jack Robinson remains suspended for the hosts, with Ethan Laird (hamstring), Scott Wright (knee) and Lee Buchanan (knee) all falling into category of long-term absentees.
Leading Portsmouth's scoring charts with three strikes so far this campaign, Australian hotshot Adrian Segecic is sidelined because of an ankle problem.
A star for Pompey during their successful quest for survival last term, Callum Lang (hamstring) has managed just two Championship appearances in 2025-26.
Birmingham City possible starting lineup:
Beadle; Osayi-Samuel, Klarer, Neumann, Cochrane; Iwata, Paik, Roberts, Anderson, Gray; Stansfield
Portsmouth possible starting lineup:
Bursik; Williams, Matthews, Poole, Ogilvie; Pack, Dozzell, Chaplin, Bishop, Yang; Kirk
We say: Birmingham City 1-0 Portsmouth
Following a rare home defeat last time out in the Second City, Birmingham will be desperate to rebuild the fortress reputation of St Andrew's during the visit of Portsmouth.
Pompey might be happy to escape Fratton Park this weekend following back-to-back home losses, however we do not believe a positive result is forthcoming for Mousinho's side.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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