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NederlandAFC Wimbledon and Portsmouth will play their first game of the EFL Trophy on Tuesday at Plough Lane, with the two League One teams aiming to kickstart the competition with three points.
With Sutton United already having a victory to their name in Group J, which also consists of Crystal Palace's Under-21s, the pressure to get a win is already high.
Match preview
© Reuters
AFC Wimbledon have had a confident start to the 2020-21 campaign, as they currently sit 11th in the table after two victories, three draws and one defeat.
They have proven themselves to be a real attacking threat throughout the new season, scoring in all but one of their games so far, with only MK Dons being able to match the 11 they have put past other teams in League One.
The Dons come into this fixture with a three-game unbeaten streak, with their most recent fixture seeing them defeat Oxford United 3-1 as they came from behind in style with a brace from Jack Rudoni and a goal from Will Nightingale.
Wimbledon have also proven themselves to be confident in cup football as well, which is why they have been able to progress to the third round of the League Cup, where they will travel to Arsenal.
Their opponents were not so dominant in that competition, having crashed out in the first round with a 2-1 loss away to Millwall, but that only makes the EFL Trophy even more important for them.
Last season, both teams were able to progress out of their respective groups in the tournament, but it was the Dons who would go further, reaching the quarter-finals, whereas Portsmouth fell short in the third round.
While Wimbledon have been free-scoring this season, Pompey have been defensively sound and have only conceded once so far in the league which came during their most recent performance.
This game will provide a huge test of their major strengths, with the attacking ability of the Dons meeting its sternest opposition yet in the form of Portsmouth's defensive capabilities.
Pompey did lose during their last outing, being defeated 1-0 by Wigan Athletic thanks to a late goal from Callum Lang, and they will be looking to quickly respond to that on Tuesday.
Danny Cowley will be pleased with how his squad have started the season though, currently sitting fifth, just two points behind Accrington Stanley, who are currently the league leaders.
Portsmouth will be hoping for a repeat of the previous two meetings between the teams, considering they won 4-0 and 3-1 in their league encounters last season, which would set them up nicely in Group J.
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Team News
With this being an EFL Trophy fixture, there is a good chance that both managers will use this opportunity to shuffle the pack, resting a few players and providing opportunities for others to shine.
Rudoni's brace on Saturday will likely have kept his place in the team after proving what he is capable of by scoring in two games in a row now for Wimbledon.
Portsmouth were able to secure the signing of Mahlon Romeo on deadline day, joining the club on loan from Ipswich Town and the defender could be in line to make his debut in midweek.
Gavin Bazunu will also be hoping to keep his fantastic start to the season going in goal, fresh from saving a Cristiano Ronaldo penalty for the Republic of Ireland.
Cowley brought Marcus Harness back into the team against Wigan after he returned from a quad injury, while he also gave opportunities to both Lee Brown and Shaun Williams in the starting XI, both of which could be in contention again.
Louis Thompson is another option available to Portsmouth, who is yet to make his debut after joining the club from Norwich City on a one-year deal.
AFC Wimbledon possible starting lineup:
Tzanev; Lawrence, Heneghan, Nightingale, Guinness-Walker; Rudoni, Hartigan, Woodyard, McCormick; Palmer, Mebude
Portsmouth possible starting lineup:
Bazunu; Freeman, Romeo, Robertson, Brown; Thompson, Morrell, Tunnicliffe; Harness, Curtis, Marquis
We say: AFC Wimbledon 1-2 Portsmouth
This game features two impressive League One teams who play very different football, which could see this come down to which outfit implements their tactics best.
With Portsmouth being tough to get past, there is likely going to be difficulties for the hosts, and with their slightly more impressive form Pompey could earn a victory here.
