Our prediction for this Championship match:
Portsmouth and Preston square off against each other at Fratton Park in what is expected to be an interesting Championship game. The Pompey aim to recover from a heart-breaking loss to Plymouth and a triumph over Preston will see them put an end to their four-game winless run in the English second tier. Northern Ireland midfielder Terry Devlin is widely expected to return to the starting XI, while the likes of Will Norris, Paddy Lane, Colby Bishop, Conor Shaughnessy, and Jacob Farrell remain in the recovery room.
The Lilywhites, on the other hand, failed to win the previous five league matches. As Preston are eager to return to winning ways as well, there is a big value in betting on both teams to score. In their last meeting in a competitive match the two sides played out a 1-1 draw. Milutin Osmajic has yet to serve his ban, while all Will Keane, Robbie Brady, and Patrick Bauer miss out with injuries for the away team.
Highlighted Player (Robbie Brady):
Robbie Brady is an Irish footballer who plays for Norwich City as a winger, but he is capable of playing at left back as well. Brady began his youth career at St. Kevin’s Boys, where he was spotted by Manchester United scouts. In 2008 he joined the Old Trafford outfit at age 16.
He played for Manchester United U-18 team, but he did not make his debut for the senior team. The Irish footballer played for Hull City on loan in the 2011/2012 and the 2012/2013 Championship campaigns and in January, 2013 he signed a permanent deal with the Tigers for an undisclosed fee. Robbie Brady made his Republic of Ireland debut on 8 September, 2012, in a 4-1 win over Oman and it has to be noted that he scored one goal and provided two assists for his teammates in the victory over the Asian team.
He represented the Boys in Green at the 2016 European Championship finals and he scored the winner against Italy that helped the team make it to the knockout stages of the showpiece tournament.
Highlighted Team (Portsmouth):
During Milan Mandaric’s era at the club, Portsmouth played an important role in the Premier League, with the team finishing their debut season (2003/2004) in the 13th position in the standings. The club impressed in the 2008/2009 season, with Nwankwo Kanu’s goal helping them beat Cardiff City in the FA Cup final.
As a result, Portsmouth represented England in the Europa League, with the team progressing in the group stages of the competition thanks to a win over Vitoria Gimaraes in the final qualifying round. The current club was formed in 2013, but the original amateur club was founded back in 1883. Nowadays Portsmouth host their rivals at Fratton Park, with the venue holding up to 20,620 spectators.
The likes of Sol Campbell, David James, Glen Johnson and aforementioned Nigeria international Nwankwo Kanu are considered one of the club’s most notable players. Portsmouth wear blue shirts, white shorts and red socks when hosting their rivals at Fratton Park, while wearing white and blue colours when playing on the road.