Pick of the stats: Lincoln City v Portsmouth

In a significant return to the second tier of English football, Lincoln City will face Portsmouth in their first home game in 66 years. The match is scheduled for Saturday at 12:30 BST. Lincoln City's Imps have struggled against Portsmouth recently, failing to score in three of their last four encounters. Since 1981, Lincoln City have only managed one win out of 14 league games against Portsmouth, a 1-0 victory away in January 2021.

This match marks the first time Portsmouth and Lincoln City have faced each other in the second tier since December 1960. Portsmouth has dominated in this division, winning three of the four previous meetings between the two teams at this level, while losing just one.

Since returning to the Football League in the 2017-18 season, Lincoln City have never lost their first two games of a campaign, a promising start. Portsmouth, on the other hand, have been unbeaten across their past six opening away games of a league campaign, with three wins and three draws. Their three wins in this period are as many as their combined performances in 37 attempts during the 1984-2020 era.

Lincoln City's James Collins stands out with his impressive goal-scoring record against Portsmouth. He has scored more league goals against Portsmouth than any other opponent, with eight of his nine goals coming in home games. One notable performance was his four-goal haul for Swindon Town on New Year's Day 2013.