Leeds United vs Portsmouth Preview, Prediction, Lineups and Team News | Championship

Sportsdunia DeskPublished: 10 Aug 2024 06:45 AM

Preview

Date – Saturday, August 10, 2024
Kick-off Time – 12:30 pm GMT
Venue – Elland Road

Leeds United will host Portsmouth in their opening game of the 2024/25 EFL Championship season at Elland Road. The Whites who are expected to secure a comfortable victory in their opening game of the Championship were a heartbeat away from clinching Premier League promotion last season.

Hosts Leeds United finished third in the Championship with a whopping 90 points and narrowly missed out on Premier League promotion. The Yorkshire club wrapped their pre-season with a 2-1 win over Valencia. They were one of the standout performers at home last season winning 16 and losing only two of their 23 league games.

Meanwhile, Portsmouth are set to compete in the Championship for the first time in 12 years. It has been quite a journey for the South-coast side who fell from the heights of the Premier League in 2010 all the way down to League Two. They have strengthened their squad with a few shrewd acquisitions across their team.

Team News

Leeds United Team News

Leeds United manager Daniel Farke revealed that he has a full squad to choose from in their opening game of the 2024/25 campaign. Jayden Bogle who sustained a knock against Valencia is expected to make his competitive debut for the Whites. New signing Joe Rothwell is expected to start from the bench in this tie.

Portsmouth Team News

On the other hand, Portsmouth will be without two defenders Tom McIntyre and Farrell in this weekend’s tie. Regan Poole will also be unavailable as he still working on his recovery from an ACL injury. Last season’s top-scorer Colby Bishop with 21 goals has undergone heart surgery and will sit out this game.

Predicted Lineups

Leeds United Predicted Lineup:

Meslier; Bogle, Rodon, Struijk, Firpo; Ampadu, Gruev; James, Rutter, Gnonto; Joseph

Portsmouth Predicted Lineup:

Norris; Swanson, Shaughnessy, Towler, Ogilvie; Pack, Dozzell; Silvera, Richie, Lane; Yengi

Head-to-Head

Leeds United have the upper hand in terms of the head-to-head between the two sides, having won 23 of their 58 previous meetings. Portsmouth have won 18 matches while the remaining 17 games have ended in a draw.

Last five results:

Portsmouth 0-1 Leeds United – League Championship – February 25, 2012
Leeds United 1-0 Portsmouth – League Championship – October 01, 2011
Portsmouth 2-2 Leeds United – League Championship – January 22, 2011
Leeds United 3-3 Portsmouth – League Championship – December 28, 2010
Portsmouth 3-0 Leeds United – League Cup – August 29, 2007

Leeds United vs Portsmouth Prediction

The hosts finished third and were consistent throughout last season but still missed out on Premier League promotion by a margin. They were one of the most exciting teams in the Championship last year and had the second-best home record in the division. They will enter this game with full confidence after maintaining a 100% win record in their pre-season games. Leeds are expected to secure a comfortable win against the newly-promoted Portsmouth and get off to a perfect start.

Meanwhile, Portsmouth are the new boys in the second tier of English football and have returned after a 12-year absence. The visitors finished at top of the League One and made their their journey back to the upper echelons of English football. They will look to get the campaign underway with a win or a draw despite their unsatisfactory record against the hosts.

Predicted Score: Leeds United 2-0 Portsmouth