The points are shared at Pride Park as the Blues remain in 21st position in the Championship heading into Christmas.
Portsmouth concluded their travels for 2025 with a point in the East Midlands.
Despite Callum Lang opening the score early on for Pompey, an own goal by Hayden Matthews on the brink of half-time stopped attempted back-to-back wins for John Mousinho’s side.
The Blues still sit 21st in the Championship, one place and two points above the drop, where Oxford United occupy 22nd, who lost 1-0 to Charlton Athletic at The Valley.
There were 4 changes to the side that defeated Blackburn Rovers 2-1 at Fratton Park last weekend.
Regan Poole returned to the XI for Ibane Bowat, who was out of the squad, Jordan Williams for Zak Swanson, who was also out of the team; Márk Kosznovszky replaced John Swift, and Colby Bishop for Yang Minhyeok.
Marlon Pack was back on the bench after serving a 1-match ban, as well as Franco Umeh, who came into the match-day squad for the first time since joining in the summer.
Lang gave Pompey the lead inside just 6 minutes, when he weaved his way through Callum Elder and then Matt Clarke, before he smashed the ball into the top right-hand corner of Jacob Zetterström’s net to make it 1-0.
The Rams managed to find an equaliser, and did so in unfortunate circumstances for Pompey.
Despite appeals for offside, Joe Ward beat the run of Poole, as the wing-back squared the ball to Patrick Agyemang, where it trickled off the body of Hayden Matthews, making it 1-1 on the cusp of the interval.
HALF-TIME: Derby 1-1 Portsmouth
Josh Murphy had to be replaced early on in the second 45, with Harvey Blair coming on, as Murphy handed the armband to Bishop.
There was then a double change from John Mousinho, with Conor Chaplin and Kosznovszky coming for Adrain Segečić and Marlon Pack just past the hour mark.
County sub Lars-Jørgen Salvesen almost made an immediate impact after he replaced Southampton loanee Ben Brereton Díaz, but Poole was able to block the Norwegian forward's effort away.
Pompey then crafted a chance of their own moments later, when Jordan Williams placed the ball into the area for Segečić’s who was denied by ex-Blues defender Matt Clarke.
Matthews redeemed himself for his earlier own goal, when the Australian centre half bravely slid in on Agyemang, who was very close to being one-on-one with Nicolas Schmid.
There were an additional 3 minutes of added time, with neither side being able to carve out a winning goal.
Agyemang came extremely close to winning it late on for John Eustace’s side, but the former Charlotte FC’s header smacked off the crossbar with one of the last movements of the game.
FULL-TIME: Derby 1-1 Portsmouth
Next up: Back to PO4 for John Mousinho’s side, who welcome Julien Stéphan’s Queens Park Rangers on Boxing Day.
QPR are currently sat 7th in the Championship, just 2 points off the Play-Offs, after a 4-1 win at home to Leicester City, where all four of the R’s’ goals came in the first-half.
Last season at Fratton Park, it was a 2-1 for Portsmouth back in February, thanks to a curling strike from Josh Murphy and then a second goal from ex-Blue Matt Ritchie.
Derby County: 1. Zetterström (GK), 5. Langås (C), 28. Sanderson, 5. Clarke, 23. Ward, 42. Clark, 16. Thompson, 20. Elder, 25. Brereton Díaz (15. Salvesen), 9. Agyemang, 10. Brewster (14. Weimann) (Formation: 3-4-2-1)
Unused subs: 31. Vickers (GK), 3. Forsyth, 4. Batth, 11. Blackett-Taylor, 19. Jackson, 32. Adams, 35. Nelson
Goal: Matthews 45’ (own goal)
Bookings: Brewster 44’
Head coach: John Eustace
Portsmouth: 1. Schmid (GK), 24. Devlin, 5. Poole, 14. Matthews, 2. Williams, 21. Dozzell, 18. Kosznovszky (7. Pack), 23. Murphy (C) (29. Blair), 36. Chaplin (10. Segečic), 49. Lang 9. Bishop (Formation: 4-2-3-1)
Unused subs: 26. Bursik (GK), 8. Swift, 15. Umeh, 16. Le Roux, 25. Kirk, 47. Minhyeok
Goal: Lang 6’
Bookings: Dozzell 42'
Head coach: John Mousinho
Referee: Farai Hallam
Venue: Pride Park
Attendance: 28,877 (including 2,000+ Pompey fans)
Today's Pompey Live: Extra-Time podcast is now available to replay! Jake Smith, Kirsty Roxanne and James Wilson were up in Derby to provide reaction to the stalemate.
The next episode of The Football Hour with Jake Smith, Joe Wood and Clive Whittingham on Monday (December 22nd) evening will contain even more reaction to this clash at Pride Park, as well as a preview of the Blues' Boxing Day meeting with Queens Park Rangers at Fratton Park.
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