Can Charlton recover from their Stoke collapse? Charlton vs Portsmouth prediction - 12.09.2026
Charlton Athletic and Portsmouth meet at The Valley on Saturday, September 12, in the EFL Championship, with kick-off scheduled for 15:00 BST. Nathan Jones remains in charge of the hosts, while John Mousinho continues to lead Pompey. Charlton enter the game sixth with 10 points from five league matches, while Portsmouth have six points after five rounds.
Charlton: a strong start followed by a brutal reality check
Charlton opened the Championship season impressively. They collected 10 points from their first four matches, beating Derby County, West Ham and Preston before earning a 1-1 draw away to West Brom. Their first league defeat arrived in spectacular fashion at Stoke last weekend, when the Addicks were beaten 4-0. All four goals came before half-time, while Danny McNamara was later dismissed after collecting two bookings in quick succession.
The result was particularly surprising because Jones' side had previously looked compact and difficult to break down. At The Valley, Charlton have won both of their completed Championship home matches so far, defeating Derby 2-1 and Preston 1-0. The latter victory briefly sent the Addicks to the top of the table and demonstrated their ability to manage a narrow advantage.
There have also been important changes in midfield. Deadline-day arrival Oliver Skipp and Timothy Ouma both made their first league starts against Stoke, giving Jones more athleticism and control in the centre. However, the current availability list remains significant: Kayne Ramsay, Will Mannion, Matty Godden, Nathaniel Chalobah, Billy Koumetio and Collins Sichenje are all listed among Charlton's unavailable players.
Portsmouth: confidence restored, but defensive questions remain
Portsmouth have experienced a much more uneven start. Mousinho's team have taken six points from five Championship matches, scoring seven goals and conceding eight. They lost 3-1 to QPR, responded with a 3-1 victory at Lincoln, then suffered defeats against Bristol City and Derby before finally returning to winning ways against Cardiff.
The 2-0 victory over Cardiff was an important boost. Conor Shaughnessy opened the scoring from Tyrese Shade's long throw before Marko Milovanović doubled the advantage after the break following Adrian Segečić's cross. Deadline-day additions Shade and Jayden Meghoma both started immediately, while Milovanović's goal gave Mousinho another positive sign from his rebuilt attacking unit.
However, the scoreline did not mean Portsmouth completely controlled the game. Cardiff registered 17 attempts and five shots on target, while Portsmouth finished with only 36-38% possession depending on the data provider. That suggests the clean sheet owed something to efficiency in both penalty areas rather than complete defensive dominance.
Pompey also have several personnel concerns. Josh Murphy is currently listed with a groin injury, while Thomas Waddingham, Franco Umeh-Chibueze, Keshi Anderson, Jacob Farrell, Connor Ogilvie and Márk Kosznovszky are also among the players expected to be unavailable.
Probable lineups
- Charlton: Okonkwo; Mesík, Lloyd Jones, Bindon, Bell; Ouma, Skipp; Grant, Rankin-Costello, Campbell; Leaburn.
- Portsmouth: Bielica; Devlin, Arthur, Shaughnessy, Meghoma; Pack, Shein; Kamara, Segečić, Shade; Milovanović.
Both projected elevens are based primarily on the teams used in their most recent Championship fixtures and the current availability information.
Match facts and head-to-heads
- Charlton have scored in four of their five Championship matches this season.
- Portsmouth have also scored in four of their first five league games.
- Both teams have scored in three of Charlton's five league matches and three of Portsmouth's five.
- Charlton have won both of their completed Championship home games this season.
- Portsmouth won the most recent completed meeting 2-1 at Fratton Park in December 2025, with Min-hyeok Yang scoring the winner deep into stoppage time.
Both attacks should have their moments: Charlton vs Portsmouth prediction
Charlton's 4-0 defeat at Stoke should not erase what was an encouraging opening month. Jones' side still possess enough attacking quality through Karlan Grant, Tyreece Campbell and Miles Leaburn to create problems at The Valley, where they have started the league campaign strongly.
Portsmouth, meanwhile, arrive with renewed confidence after beating Cardiff. Segečić is capable of creating chances between the lines, Kamara provides a direct threat from wide areas, and Milovanović has already shown he can make an impact inside the box. At the same time, Pompey's defensive numbers remain far from convincing, and even their latest clean sheet came in a game where Cardiff created a respectable volume of chances.
Neither side looks reliable enough defensively to make a clean sheet the central expectation. Charlton should respond aggressively in front of their own supporters, but Portsmouth have scored in four of five league matches and have enough pace and creativity to punish the hosts if they leave space during that reaction.
Prediction: Both teams to score - Yes.
