EFL League One 2019/20: Sunderland vs Portsmouth

Having played one another five times last season in all competitions including in the Checkatrade Trophy final and in the play-off semi-finals Sunderland and Portsmouth renewed their rivalry in their third game of the League One campaign.

Last year’s battles saw two Pompey victories one being at Wembley two draws and one Sunderland win, with the Black Cats progressing over the two legs in the end-of-season showpiece before losing out in the final against Charlton Athletic.

Here, Sunderland triumphed 2-1 to secure their first victory of the season, making it two defeats out of three for their south coast rivals in the process. We will provide an in depth tactical analysis of the match, looking at the tactics of both teams, as we produce an analysis of how Sunderland claimed the three points.

Lineups

Having started the campaign with a back three, manager Jack Ross switched to a back four for their midweek Carabao Cup clash at Accrington Stanley and following a comprehensive 1-3 win opted to stick with it here within a 4-2-3-1 formation.

Alim Öztürk , fresh from an impressive display in Lancashire, kept his place at the heart of the defence ahead of Tom Flanagan, with Conor McLaughlin shifting from a wide central defender within a three to an orthodox left-back. Midfielder Max Power came in for his first league start after battling back from an ankle injury, accompanying the experienced Grant Leadbitter in the centre of midfield as they were preferred to George Dobson. In attack, the creative trio of Aiden McGeady, Chris Maguire and Lyden Gooch were tasked with supporting striker Marc McNulty.