A Premier League fixture as little as 12 years ago, both Sunderland and Portsmouth will look to take three points in their search for promotion when the pair meet on Saturday afternoon.

The hosts remain in the automatic mix, while the visitors will travel to the North East desperate to stay in touch with their fellow playoff challengers.

Match preview

Sunderland's Dan Neil in action with Plymouth's James Wilson, December 11, 2021 © Reuters

With title ambitions at the beginning of the campaign, it has not always been a comfortable ride for Lee Johnson this season, with his side currently just outside the automatic spaces.

Currently boasting four games in hand over their direct rivals, Wigan Athletic remain in pole position to finish on top of the tree, should they be able to get points on the board.

That leaves three teams fighting it out for one extra automatic spot, with Sunderland set to go head-to-head with current leaders Wycombe Wanderers and Rotherham United over the next couple of months.

Should the Black Cats get across the line, it will represent a return to the second tier for the first time since dropping out in 2017-18.

Two failed playoff campaigns have plagued their three season stay in League One so far, with Johnson no doubt desperate to ensure that his side avoid the lottery of a top-six finish.

In recent weeks, their form has not suggested they will be able to jump into the top two, as a stuttering Sunderland are winless so far this calendar year.

A dramatic 3-3 draw away to Wycombe two weeks ago has been followed up by a disappointing 3-1 defeat to Lincoln City, before a frustrating stalemate with Accrington Stanley last time out.

It means that Sunderland will begin the weekend three matches without a win, a run that Portsmouth will be keen to stretch out to four.

Similarly to Saturday's opponents, Portsmouth have dipped in and out of form this season, with the Hampshire outfit currently boasting only two wins from their previous eight matches.

An ever-growing five points from sixth-placed Plymouth Argyle, should Danny Cowley want to remain in charge of Portsmouth, he can ill-afford his side to slip up any more.

Looking to back up their 4-0 battering of Sunderland from earlier in the campaign, Portsmouth will be eyeing up their first league double over the Black Cats since the 2008-09 season when the pair were both Premier League clubs.

For Sunderland, this fixture has not always been profitable in recent years, and boss Johnson will be hoping to oversee just the Black Cats' second victory in five attempts over Portsmouth.

Sunderland League One form:

Sunderland form (all competitions):

Portsmouth League One form:

Portsmouth form (all competitions):

Team News

Portsmouth manager Danny Cowley pictured on May 9, 2021 © Reuters

Despite his team's struggles at points this season, Ross Stewart has excelled for Sunderland in League One, netting 18 times during his 27 appearances.

The Scottish-born striker will lead the line for Sunderland, with Lynden Gooch and Leon Dajaku providing creativity from either side.

Midfield duo Dan Neil and Elliot John Embleton will anchor the engine room, whilst Tom Flanagan will partner Manchester City loanee Callum Doyle at the back.

Goals have not flown as freely for Portsmouth this season, with the visitors likely to turn to top scorer Marcus Harness to find the net once more.

With nine goals for the campaign, the Irish-born forward has provided most of their positivity in attack, with striker duo Tyler Walker and George Hirst targeting a change in their fortunes.

At the opposite end, Portsmouth will also boast a City loanee in their defence, with promising goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu looking to continue his strong campaign with another clean sheet.

Looking to provide the Irish shot-stopper with cover will be a back three of Connor Ogilvie, Sean Raggett and Hayden Carter.

Sunderland possible starting lineup:
Hoffmann; Wright, Flanagan, Doyle, Cirkin; Neil, Embleton; Dajaku, Pritchard, Gooch; Stewart

Portsmouth possible starting lineup:
Bazunu; Carter, Raggett, Ogilvie; Romeo, Morrell, Thompson, Brown; Harness, Hirst, Walker

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We say: Sunderland 2-1 Portsmouth

In a clash that could define who secures promotion and who misses out come the end of the season, both sides will be hopeful of three points.

Sunderland boast home advantage, along with the superior league position, making the Black Cats the most likely winners for this one.

Top tip

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Data Analysis

Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Sunderland win with a probability of 52.43%. A draw had a probability of 24.2% and a win for Portsmouth had a probability of 23.37%.

The most likely scoreline for a Sunderland win was 1-0 with a probability of 11.08%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 2-1 (9.67%) and 2-0 (9.32%). The likeliest drawn scoreline was 1-1 (11.5%), while for a Portsmouth win it was 0-1 (6.84%). The actual scoreline of 1-0 was predicted with an 11.1% likelihood. Our data analysis correctly predicted a 1-0 win for Sunderland in this match and our team at Sports Mole correctly predicted the win for Sunderland.