Southampton legend Matt Le Tissier feels the South Coast Derby between the Saints and Portsmouth will be a more exciting match than previous season.

As the longest international break comes to an end, anticipation grows for Derby Day on the South Coast, when Portsmouth travel to St Mary’s to face Southampton.

This is the first time the two teams have spent consecutive seasons in the same division since 2003/04 and 2004/05, and many fans are hoping that the two matches this season will be more exciting than the ones last year.

Indeed, both were cagey affairs, particularly the first encounter at St Mary’s, a goalless draw played within Southampton’s first five games under Will Still.

Matt Le Tissier describes Southampton’s hopes against Portsmouth on Sunday.

Last September marked the first league derby between the two since April 2012. One of the few positive aspects of Southampton’s relegation from the Premier League in 2025 was the renewal of this old rivalry.

Ultimately, the matchup did not live up to the hype. Both teams were determined not to lose, and the game turned out to be rather dull, with only two shots on goal throughout.

Southampton vs Portsmouth stats – 14/09/25

Southampton

Portsmouth

Score 0 0

Shots 9 10

Shots on target

1 1

Touches in opposition box

20

12

Big chances

1

1

Speaking to the Daily Echo, ex-Saints forward Le Tissier attributed that to the club struggling to get to grips under Will Still, and expects that, with a more settled approach to games now under Tonda Eckert, his side can come away with all three points.

“I have to say, last year’s derbies were a real disappointment,” he said. “[There was] massive build up to it and I just feel like the game itself was a big letdown. I thought it was a poor quality football match. “You would probably say Portsmouth probably had the better chances in the game,

if I’m honest. “So that’s something we need to rectify, and I think the game last season came at a time when we weren’t in great form under a new manager. I think this time around we’re a bit more prepared for it and I expect three points.”

Matt Le Tissier opens up about how big the South Coast derby is

Despite spending his entire 16-year professional career at Southampton, Le Tissier only appeared in two South Coast derbies: as a substitute in a 2-0 league loss in 1988 and as a starter in a 3-0 FA Cup win in 1996.

Given that this is only the sixth season since 1976 that the two rivals have competed in the same level, it’s unsurprising that the clash at St Mary’s was tense.

Both teams drew their league matches in the 2011/12 season, the last time they competed in the same division, hence this game hasn’t had a league winner since Pompey triumphed 4-1 in a Premier League meeting in April 2005. Southampton’s previous league win came five months ago.

Despite spending his entire 16-year professional career at Southampton, Le Tissier only appeared in two South Coast derbies: as a substitute in a 2-0 league loss in 1988 and as a starter in a 3-0 FA Cup win in 1996.

Given that this is only the sixth season since 1976 that the two rivals have competed in the same level, it’s unsurprising that the clash at St Mary’s was tense.

Both teams drew their league matches in the 2011/12 season, the last time they competed in the same division, hence this game hasn’t had a league winner since Pompey triumphed 4-1 in a Premier League meeting in April 2005. Southampton’s previous league win came five months ago.

Le Tissier, an advisor to the board at St Mary’s, discussed the significance of the game from the Saints’ standpoint.It’s the one the supporters look forward to when the fixtures are released,” he said. “I’m not that different. “You want to watch the derbies.”I speak to everyone. I’ve had numerous phone calls from folks asking whether I could get them tickets. I know how popular this is among ex-players, fans, and members of staff. It’s a large one.”

Tonda Eckert, 57, stated that Southampton had an internal friendly over the international break to stay fit. However, he chose to keep the last week low-key to prepare his team for training this week.I know the players played a little friendly against Aston Villa, and then the manager gave them an entire week off to keep themselves fresh and come back Monday ready to play on Sunday.”

Neutral fans will hope for a similar derby to the previous encounter at Fratton Park.

The two teams last played at Fratton Park in late January. With more than half of the season gone, this clash had a fiercer derby feel than previous ones, which were overshadowed by the early-season desire for points.

There was plenty more goalmouth activity, as Leo Scienza stole headlines after scoring, with a celebration that saw him traverse the length of the field to join the travelling fans, but not before goading the Pompey supporters along the way.

The home crowd went crazy as Ebou Adams scored the equaliser on his Portsmouth home debut.

Sunday’s meeting, you believe, will have an edge to it, despite the fact that it is still early in the season, especially with the FA hearing into the charges against Saints manager Tonda Eckert still ongoing. The closer we go to game day without a resolution, the greater the anticipation.

A win for Pompey would put them ahead of their rivals, while Southampton will be hoping to maintain their fine home form after four consecutive wins at St Mary’s to begin the season.