Portsmouth vs Sheffield Utd
Portsmouth edge Sheffield Utd in five-goal thriller
Swanson and Adams seal a narrow win after Sheffield Utd fight back.
Portsmouth secured a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Sheffield Utd in the Championship, with Z. Swanson opening the scoring before A. Segecic doubled the lead early in the second half. Sheffield Utd responded through J. Tanganga and T. Cannon to level the match, but E. Adams' late strike clinched the win for Portsmouth. Fipster's medium-confidence prediction of a home win was on the money, though the actual scoreline proved more dramatic than expected.
Outcome probability
Portsmouth and Sheffield Utd face off in what promises to be a tightly fought league encounter. Both teams have shown flashes of quality this season, but Portsmouth's home advantage and recent form could prove decisive in this one.
Match factors
Sheffield Utd's Bamford in strong scoring form
Patrick Bamford has scored 3 goals in last 5 games, showing sharp finishing and home effectiveness
Portsmouth missing key attackers
Portsmouth has 7 confirmed outs including attackers, weakening their goal threat
Peck leads Sheffield Utd's creative play
Sydie Peck tops assists with 2 this season and high passing accuracy, key for chance creation
Portsmouth's inconsistent scoring form
Portsmouth scored in only 2 of last 5 home games, limiting their offensive momentum
The context
Portsmouth currently sit 19th in the league with 8 points from 7 games, while Sheffield Utd are 13th with 12 points from 9 matches. Historically, Sheffield Utd have had the upper hand in their head-to-head meetings, winning four of six encounters, but Portsmouth will be keen to improve their record on home turf.
Key insights
Patrick Bamford
Sheffield Utd
Bamford has been in strong scoring form with 3 goals in his last 5 games, making him a key threat.
Championship 26/273 goals last 5 games, 7 apps, 550 mins
Sydie Peck
Sheffield Utd
Peck is the creative heartbeat with 2 assists and high passing accuracy, crucial for chance creation.
Championship 26/272 assists season, 8 apps, 692 mins
Thomas Cannon
Sheffield Utd
Cannon is doubtful with a calf injury but could add depth and goal threat if fit.
Championship 26/272 goals season, 7 apps, 344 mins
- R
Ryan Kavuma-McQueen
Portsmouth
Kavuma-McQueen has been a standout performer with high shot volume and attacking involvement.
Championship 26/27Key attacking midfielder despite no top scorer/assister status
Analysis
Sheffield Utd's Patrick Bamford is in fine scoring form, netting three goals in his last five games and posing a significant threat. However, Portsmouth's attacking options are somewhat depleted with several key players unavailable, which could hamper their goal-scoring potential. Creative midfielder Sydie Peck leads Sheffield Utd's chance creation with two assists this season, but Portsmouth's resilience and recent home performances suggest they can edge this contest. The predicted halftime score of 1-1 reflects a competitive first half, with Portsmouth expected to clinch the win by full time.
Key facts
- 1.Sheffield Utd have won 4 of 6 meetings against Portsmouth, who have won once with one draw.
- 2.Portsmouth are 19th in the league with 8 points from 7 games (W2 D2 L3).
- 3.Sheffield Utd are 13th with 12 points from 9 games (W3 D3 L3).
- 4.Patrick Bamford has scored 3 goals in his last 5 games for Sheffield Utd.
- 5.Sydie Peck leads Sheffield Utd with 2 assists this season.
- 6.Portsmouth have scored in only 2 of their last 5 home games.
- 7.The most likely halftime score is 1-1, with a final predicted score of 2-1 to Portsmouth.
- 8.Four cards are expected in this competitive fixture.
Prediction
The forecast is for a narrow 2-1 victory to Portsmouth. The home side is expected to match Sheffield Utd goal for goal in the first half before pulling ahead in the second. With four cards predicted, the match could be a feisty affair, but Portsmouth's determination and home advantage should see them through.
Player Insights
Standout players Fipster expects to impact the match — curated highlights, not full squad lists
Home — Portsmouth
No standout top scorers flagged for Portsmouth
Away — Sheffield Utd
The verdict
In summary, while Sheffield Utd bring quality and recent form to the table, Portsmouth's home performance and tactical edge make them the favourites to take all three points. Expect a close game with moments of quality and a decisive late goal to settle the contest.
Prediction generated 11 Oct 2026, 12:56 UTC · Fipster Model v1.163
Form as the teams went into this match — excludes this result and anything since.
Team Comparison
Season shape — attack, defence, form, clean sheets & win rate
Home vs Away comparison
Goal difference in each of the last few fixtures — above the line is a net win, below is a net loss
Season comparison
Goals scored & conceded, goal difference and clean sheets across the season
Halftime Performance
What each side does once the whistle goes for half time
Streaks
Recent-form runs — each side’s most-recent game meets in the middle
Head to Head
Meghoma
Yellow Card
Choudhury
Yellow Card
Swanson
Choudhury
Red Card
Bamford
Brereton
Segecic
Assist: Kavuma McQueen
Tanganga
Assist: Chong
Schmid
Yellow Card
Rothwell
McCallum
Yellow Card
Milovanović
Cannon
Assist: Phillips
Kamara
Mohamed
Swanson
Chong
Cannon
Adams
Yellow Card
Anderson
Adams
| # | Team | P | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Middlesbrough | 12 | 7 | 4 | 1 | +10 | 25 |
| 9 |  QPR | 12 | 5 | 5 | 2 | +8 | 20 |
| 10 |  Sheffield Utd | 13 | 5 | 4 | 4 | +2 | 19 |
| 11 |  Blackburn | 12 | 5 | 3 | 4 | +3 | 18 |
| 12 |  Portsmouth | 12 | 5 | 3 | 4 | +1 | 18 |
| 13 |  Norwich | 13 | 5 | 0 | 8 | -1 | 15 |
Match Statistics
Portsmouth
4-2-3-1Starting XI
- 1N. SchmidG
- 5R. PooleD
- 7M. PackM
- 10A. SegecicM
- 11A. KamaraM
- 16J. MeghomaD
- 22Z. SwansonD
- 25R. Kavuma McQueenM
- 29M. MilovanovićF
- 37I. MohamedM
- 55M. DiaD
Substitutes
- 9C. BishopF
- 19R. SheinM
- 21K. AndersonM
- 24T. DevlinM
- 27O. BaileyM
- 30B. KillipG
- 31D. BielicaG
- 32E. KennyM
- 38E. AdamsM
Sheffield Utd
4-4-2Starting XI
- 1M. CooperG
- 3S. McCallumD
- 5J. TangangaD
- 7J. RothwellM
- 8H. ChoudhuryD
- 9T. CannonF
- 15L. KitchingD
- 19T. ChongM
- 22B. BreretonM
- 42Sydie PeckM
- 45P. BamfordF
Substitutes
- 4O. ArblasterM
- 10J. AyewF
- 11R. DonovanM
- 14H. BurrowsD
- 17A. DaviesG
- 23T. CampbellF
- 25M. McGuinnessD
- 27K. PhillipsM
- 44J. RiedewaldM
Portsmouth
| Player | Pos | Min | Rating | G | A | Shots | SoT | Key Passes | Dribbles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A. Segecic | M | 90 | 8.2 | 1 | — | 2 | 1 | 5 | 1/4 |
| M. Dia | D | 90 | 7.4 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — |
| R. Kavuma McQueen | M | 90 | 7.4 | — | 1 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 4/8 |
| Z. Swanson | D | 69 | 7.2 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | — | 0/1 |
| E. Adams | M | 21 | 7.0 | 1 | — | 2 | 1 | — | — |
| J. Meghoma | D | 90 | 6.9 | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | — |
| R. Poole | D | 90 | 6.7 | — | — | 3 | — | — | — |
| C. Bishop | F | 28 | 6.6 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — |
| N. Schmid | G | 90 | 6.6 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — |
| M. Pack | M | 90 | 6.5 | — | — | 2 | 1 | 2 | — |
| M. Milovanović | F | 62 | 6.4 | — | — | 1 | — | — | 0/1 |
| I. Mohamed | M | 69 | 6.4 | — | — | 3 | — | 2 | — |
| A. Kamara | M | 68 | 6.3 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1/2 |
| K. Anderson | M | 19 | 6.2 | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — |
| T. Devlin | M | 21 | 6.1 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| O. Bailey | M | 3 | 6.1 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| B. Killip | G | 0 | 0.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| D. Bielica | G | 0 | 0.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| R. Shein | M | 0 | 0.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| E. Kenny | M | 0 | 0.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Sheffield Utd
| Player | Pos | Min | Rating | G | A | Shots | SoT | Key Passes | Dribbles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T. Cannon | F | 79 | 7.5 | 1 | — | 5 | 3 | — | 0/1 |
| J. Tanganga | D | 90 | 6.8 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | — | 0/1 |
| K. Phillips | M | 44 | 6.6 | — | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | — |
| J. Rothwell | M | 60 | 6.5 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — |
| Sydie Peck | M | 90 | 6.4 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1/1 |
| M. Cooper | G | 90 | 6.3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| T. Chong | M | 79 | 6.3 | — | 1 | 1 | — | 2 | 0/2 |
| M. McGuinness | D | 44 | 6.3 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — |
| T. Campbell | F | 11 | 6.2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| L. Kitching | D | 90 | 6.1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — |
| O. Arblaster | M | 30 | 6.0 | — | — | — | — | 2 | — |
| P. Bamford | F | 46 | 6.0 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — |
| B. Brereton | M | 46 | 5.9 | — | — | — | — | — | 1/1 |
| R. Donovan | M | 11 | 5.8 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| S. McCallum | D | 90 | 5.5 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0/1 |
| H. Choudhury | D | 44 | 5.2 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — |
| J. Ayew | F | 0 | 0.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| H. Burrows | D | 0 | 0.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| A. Davies | G | 0 | 0.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| J. Riedewald | M | 0 | 0.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Prediction Q&A
- Who did Fipster predict to win Portsmouth vs Sheffield Utd?
- Fipster's AI model predicted Portsmouth to win against Sheffield Utd.
- What score did Fipster predict for Portsmouth vs Sheffield Utd?
- Fipster predicted a final score of Portsmouth 2–1 Sheffield Utd.
- What were the win probabilities for Portsmouth vs Sheffield Utd?
- Fipster's model gave Portsmouth a 58% chance of winning, Sheffield Utd a 21% chance, and a 21% chance of a draw.
- How confident was Fipster in this prediction?
- Fipster's model assigned this prediction 58% confidence — a medium-confidence call.