Last night saw Southampton learn their fate in the 3rd round of the Carabao Cup, and with plenty of teams across all four divisions left in the tournament, it was a lottery as to who the Saints would be up against. It was the best possible draw for them, though, as they face Portsmouth.
Whilst the Premier League can provide Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side with South coast clashes against Brighton and Hove Albion and Bournemouth, Southampton’s major rivalry is against Pompey, and the chance to get one over their League One rivals is one the fans are ecstatic for.
The last time the two sides met was in the Championship back in the 2011/12 season, with both games at St, Mary’s and Fratton Park ending in stalemates, and to find the last time Southampton won at Fratton Park you have to go all the way back to January 1984, when the Saints won 1-0 in an FA Cup tie, via 11v11.
The two sides are set to meet on either Tuesday the 24th September or Wednesday 25th, and it’ll be their first meeting in over seven years. Bragging rights are certainly up for grabs, as with the two sides two divisions apart there’s no telling when the next meeting will be.
The strong start that Southampton have made to the Premier League season is certainly a positive sign, and with their Premier League fixtures either side of the Pompey clash a home tie with Bournemouth and a trip to Tottenham, Ralph Hasenhuttl simply must understand the importance of beating Portsmouth.
Survival will be the aim for Southampton this season, but after managing the feat by five points last season, saving some of their stars for the Pompey game shouldn’t be too much of an issue, even if it means dropping points against Spurs and the Cherries.
