2025-26 Sky Bet Championship: Week 17 – Wednesday

Sheffield United meet Portsmouth in the race for Sky Bet Championship survival. 

Victory would lift Sheffield Utd out of the relegation zone and up to 21st in the table, whilst Portsmouth can climb to 18th with a win if Blackburn lose elsewhere.

 

Team News

Sheffield Utd have no fresh injury concerns to report after their 3-0 victory at Sheffield Wednesday on Sunday (23 November).

Chiedozie Ogbene (hamstring), Oliver Arblaster (ACL), Tahith Chong (knee) and Sai Sachdev (leg) are ruled out.

Portsmouth have no fresh injury concerns to report following their 3-1 victory at home to Millwall.

Thomas Waddingham (quad), Franco Umeh (leg), Harvey Blair, Conor Shaughnessy (both hamstring), Connor Ogilvie and Jacob Farrell (knee) remain absent.

 

When is Kick-Off?

Sheffield Utd host Portsmouth at Bramall Lane on Wednesday 26 November at 7:45pm GMT, live on Sky Sports+ in the UK.

 

Stat Attack

• Sheffield Utd have avoided defeat in three of their last five meetings against Portsmouth (W2, D1, L2).
• Portsmouth are winless in their last 24 league visits to Sheffield Utd (D4, L20).
• Sheffield Utd have won two of their last three home games against Portsmouth by 1-0 results, although their most recent clash at Bramall Lane in February 2025 ended in a 2-1 victory for the Blades.
• Chris Wilder’s Blades are looking to keep three consecutive clean sheets for the first time since December 2024.
• Portsmouth are winless in their last six away matches (D3, L3).

 

Prediction

Having comfortably dispatched their local rivals in a dominant display where they showed more intensity and desire even if had to be patient for their third goal, Sheffield Utd now know that this is a good chance to get out of the relegation zone.

Portsmouth meanwhile are winless in their last six away trips but can take confidence from how they dominated Millwall at home with an energetic display, which they now need to translate into an away performance if want to beat Wilder’s Blades.

I however do think that Wilder’s Blades have turned a corner and given Portsmouth’s awful record at Bramall Lane, this is a chance for the hosts to boost their survival chances.

Prediction: Sheffield Utd 2-1 Portsmouth

Result: Sheffield Utd 3-0 Portsmouth