League One tips and odds for one of the division's standout fixtures this Saturday as promotion-pushers Portsmouth travel to play-off chasing Fleetwood Town.
These two sides played out a goalless draw a month ago at Fratton Park in a game a little lacking in pure footballing quality but made more memorable for its ill-tempered nature, with seven yellow cards in the first half alone. On that occasion, Portsmouth were guilty of profligacy and inefficiency, dominating possession and territory but sending just two of their 16 shots on target - the dropped points cost them going top of the table that night, which experienced coach Kenny Jackett will be looking to put right.
This is set to be Fleetwood's first outing in the league since Boxing Day, with the post-Joey Barton era beginning with a 3-2 EFL Trophy defeat at Hull City in midweek. Club chairman Andy Pilley has insisted there will be rush in appointing a full-time successor to Barton, who led the club to a play-off finish last season, with interim coach Simon Wiles getting an opportunity to impress.
Prior to Barton's shock sacking earlier this month, the Trawlermen had won just one of their seven previous League One outings, registering three successive draws with Boxing Day's 1-1 at Crewe.
Portsmouth, meanwhile, are looking to bounce back from a disappointing week - remaining on Hull's tail for second, three points behind with a game in hand. Last Sunday they were left disappointed with a 2-1 defeat at Bristol City, and in midweek they were also eliminated from the EFL Trophy as a much-changed XI lost 5-1 at Peterborough, with Jackett very much sending a message that promotion is the priority. The league form has been much better - it's three 2-0 wins and one 0-0 draw from the last four outings, as they look to make it a fifth consecutive clean sheet in League One here.
Fleetwood, at home back in February last year, beat Pompey 2-0: it's their only win from their last six meetings (three defeats, two draws).
